#i tell her that my thyroid problems have been making me more depressed extremely more tired and

[valkerymillenia]

Saw my psychiatrist today...

I really don't like her and she intimidates me and makes so uncomfortable that I blank when talking to her and forget everything I wanted to say.

It sucks.

[wildlyminiaturesandwich]

Do you have pcos? or any kind of health problem that makes it hard for you to lose weight? I'm just curious, don't answer it if you don't feel comfortable

Ok so I got a couple messages asking this same thing, as well as people suggesting that “just lose weight and then try again”, so I’m gonna put a bunch of information (and I mean A BUNCH of information) under a cut here that explains everything and why “just losing weight” isn’t a solution nor is it the problem. Like, at all.

If you don’t want to read all of this, you really don’t have to. There’s a TL;DR at the bottom and I wouldn’t blame you for just scrolling straight there and skipping my rant lol

I don’t have PCOS, no, my weight is mostly a “side effect” of my mental health and years of trying different medications to help with that. Just in case some people aren’t aware, two of the most common side effects of anti-depressants are increased appetite and weight gain. That coupled with one of the two most common symptoms of chronic depression — lack of energy and motivation — means that over the years I’ve slowly put on weight.

Even though every doctor insists on telling me I’m overweight and need to lose weight as though I’m completely oblivious to my own body and such an idea as losing weight has never occurred to me before, I have in fact tried to lose weight many many times over the years with very little success no matter how healthily I ate and how much I exercised. The only time I have ever had success was back in my 20s when I switched to a gluten and dairy free diet to try to fix another issues I was having with my gut. This is why, in the past few weeks, Mr Sandwich and I have been slowly switching our diets to be gluten and dairy free.

BUT even though I am doing that, and exercising as much as I can with my limited energy, it’s not enough. I can lose weight, sure, but I can’t lose enough weight quickly (and safely) enough to be able to do IVF, which I’ll get to in a minute. So it’s not always as simple as “just lose weight”, everyone is different and despite what most people think, a lot of overweight people don’t chose to be that way. Why anyone would think that is beyond me, but a lot of people do and because of this you get people treating fat people as less than human, as though we’re not worthy of any kindness or sympathy because obviously we had to have done this to ourselves, right?

This is also why I get so annoyed when people equate being overweight to being unhealthy. The whole “overweight people are twice as likely to die early” bullshit is nonsense! Sure sometimes it’s the case, but not always. I am not medically unhealthy at all. Apart from being unable to conceive and my mental health issues, neither of which are a symptom or side effect of my weight, I am actually perfectly healthy. Over the past few years I’ve had every test anyone could come up with to try to find out why I wasn’t falling pregnant and that includes things like liver, kidney and thyroid function, cholesterol, diabetes and blood sugar tests, blood pressure, the list goes on. Everything everyone always associates with fat people, all of it was tested, and everything came back perfectly normal. I had a doctor literally say to me “If I hadn’t seen you in person, I would never have known you were overweight based on these results”, which just goes to show you how biased even doctors can be.

Warning: If you don’t wanna learn some interesting stuff about fertility and reproduction, don’t read any further.

So why am I trying IVF if I’m healthy?

Fun fact: When a woman talks about her “biological clock” ticking, it’s not even a joke; a woman’s biological clock is like a clock counting down from the moment she’s born… or maybe it’s more like an hourglass? Either way, unlike men, who can produce viable sperm from the time they hit puberty until the day they die, women have all the eggs they will every have in their entire life already tucked away in their tiny little ovaries from the moment they form as a fetus. That ovarian reserve starts at around 6-7 million follicles during the fetal stage, by the time that new baby girl is born that number has already dropped to 1 million, and by the time she hits puberty she’s only got about 300,000 left. Of those 300,000, only about 300-400 will be ovulated during her entire lifespan. That number obviously continues to decrease when a woman ovulates each month right up until they run out and that is when the woman will go through menopause, and there is no way to raise that amount either. Once the eggs run out, that’s it, there’s no more. Pretty grim huh?

By my age (35), a women with perfect reproductive health will have an AMH (Anti-Müllerian hormone, essentially an indicator of how many eggs you have) level of around 5.1 pmol/L (2.3 ng/mL) but for some reason, my ovaries seem to think I’m actually50. My AMH level is 0.3 pmol/L (0.1 ng/mL), which is considered EXTREMELY low and essentially what that means is I will never be able to conceive naturally. My only chance to conceive and carry my own biological child will be through IVF.

Now, it’s super important to note that low AMH has absolutely nothing to do with weight. There are a lot of different reasons that AMH levels can be low and they could be anything from hormone imbalance to a side effect of cancer treatments, from smoking to mumps. My hormones are normal, I’ve never had cancer or mumps, and I don’t smoke; in my case, it’s most likely due to constant and severe amounts of stress (like years and years of it). But seeing as there’s no medical way to test that, the cause of my low AMH has been deemed by my doctor as idiopathic (unknown). So while weight does have some affect on conceiving naturally, in my case it wouldn’t matter how much I weighed because my AMH level would still be low even if I wasn’t overweight.

In Australia, there are these wonderful things called Low Cost or Bulk Bill IVF clinics. At a private IVF clinic you’d be looking at about $10-15k (Aussie dollars) a cycle for IVF, but at a bulk bill clinic they can charge as little as $800! Unfortunately at these low cost clinics you’re not able to chose your doctor either, you just get whoever is available so that’s a problem too. But the way they’re able to keep costs low is a combination of Medicare rebates (Australia’s free health care system) and the fact that they don’t use full sedation during egg collection which costs a buttload of money because anesthetic. They use a combination of local anesthetic and twilight sedation, which means lower cost for the patient, it’s win win… unless you’re overweight. For reasons I have yet to figure out — because not a single clinic can come up with any reason every time I ask — most clinics demand you be under a certain weight before they’ll treat you. I’m not going to tell you my exact weight but it’s not anywhere near this stupid limit.

Another fun fact: This weight limit is non-existent in private clinics but I don’t have, nor could I get, $10-15k. The fertility specialist I spoke to yesterday also suggest bariatric (lap band) surgery as though that were an actual viable option. Like, listen lady, if I had the money for that (anywhere between $5-20k), don’t you think I would be using that to go to a fat-friendly private clinic instead of talking to your rude arse at a low cost clinic?! 

This all brings me back to the TL;DR of it:

Here’s the problem I’m facing. A year ago when my AMH (egg supply) was tested it was 1.4 pmol/L (0.6 ng/mL), which was already very low then, but it’s dropped down to 0.3 pmol/L in a little over a year, so at that rate I’m going to run out of eggs and be hitting early menopause most likely before the end of the year. At 35 years old.

Merry Christmas to me.

This has nothing AT ALL to do with my weight but for some reason these IVF clinics have a weight limit and there is absolutely no way I can lose enough weight (safely and healthily) before I run out of eggs, hence why I’m so mad. Even if I had barbaric surgery it still wouldn’t be enough time! None of these stupid clinics give a shit about that, all they keep saying is “lose weight and then come back to us”, as though I have all the time in the world!

My only options now are to a) rob a bank and take my fat arse to a private clinic. b) rob a bank, get myself some bariatric surgery and take a buttload of speed to lose weight SUPER fast, and then take myself to a low cost clinic. c) rob a bank and use the money to buy a baby. Or d) continue to do as I’ve been doing and will continue to do regardless of what happens and that’s lose weight the safe and healthy way and run out of eggs while I’m at it.

Last fun fact of the post: All of this could have been avoided had my stupid GP tested my AMH levels 5 YEARS AGO when I asked him to! It would have been low then as well but not as low so I would have had more time AND back then I would have just scrapped in under the ridiculous weight limit!

/rant

[tervacious]

Since I’m getting a little pushback on my post about “Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder”:

Let’s go.  From the website ASHA, the American Sexual Health Association:

There are many potential causes, both physical and psychological.

There are a number of physical conditions associated with HSDD, including breast cancer, diabetes, depression, urinary incontinence, thyroid problems, and multiple sclerosis, among others.

An imbalance of neurotransmitters (chemicals) in the brain may be the cause, as the chemicals that can cause (or inhibit) sexual desire and excitement may be out of balance.

Diminished libido may be a side effect of certain medications, including medications used to treat depression, anxiety and high blood pressure, as well as some medications to treat pain.

Relationship issues may play a role for some women. If there is conflict or a lack of trust in a relationship, women may lose interest in sex with that partner as a result. (Although it should be noted that a woman may experience HSDD and not be in a relationship).

Some psychological conditions may be associated with the development of HSDD, including depression, anxiety and low self-esteem.

So here we have a lot of wiggle words (”may be associated with”, “potential causes”, “may play a role”) and a bit of questionable science (brain chemistry), but what stands out is the enormous variety of reasons that might cause women not to be in the mood for sex for prolonged periods of time.  A relationship issue has nothing in common with thyroid problems, for example, which bolsters my argument that this is not a “disorder”.  FHSDD implies there’s a discreet thing, singular, rather than what this list expresses, a myriad of potential issues.  (The list doesn’t mention other obvious potential causes of not being turned on, such as capitalism and the exhaustion that comes with that, being put in the position of primary caretaker of children and often times adult males, patriarchy generally, which I did in my post.)

Also I found this exact same list, over and over, in various sources, but interestingly the actual diagnostic criteria specifically excludes medications and other medical conditions.  In other words, you can totally be experiencing an utter lack of sexual and physical desire and experience distress because of it, but your medical conditions or medications are considered the cause, not the vague “Female Hypodermicalogical Blah Blah”.)

HSDD is treatable and can be manageable, so the first step if you are concerned about a lack of interest in sex is to talk to a healthcare provider to see what options are available. The provider may ask a series of questions called the Decreased Sexual Desire Screener (DSDS) to help diagnose HSDD. The first four questions are:

In the past, was your level of sexual desire/interest good and satisfying to you?

Has there been a decrease in your level of sexual desire/interest?

Are you bothered by your decreased level of sexual desire/interest?

Would you like your level of sexual desire/interest to increase?

If a woman answers ‘no’ to any of these questions, she likely will not be diagnosed with HSDD. If she answers ‘yes’ to these, she will also be asked about other factors that may be contributing to her low desire, including physical and mental health conditions, recent childbirth, her relationship with her partner, her level of stress and fatigue, and other issues.

Treatment may include sex therapy or counseling, alone or with a woman’s partner, to address any mental health or relationship issues that may be present. Medications may be evaluated as contributing factors, and underlying medical conditions may be addressed.

Again, this makes it very clear there is no such thing as FHSDD.  There are a whole slew of issues women have.  Men have some of these problems too, but generally speaking when you start talking about male sexual desire the bent is not to assume he is “frigid”, it’s to talk about “performance”.  The reason for that is to boost sales of overly prescribed drugs like Viagra, which is driven less by the fact some men with say high blood pressure, for example, have a difficult time getting it up, and more about getting healthy men anxious.  Every dude, no matter how turned on and healthy he is, can have what seems to him to be a sudden catastrophic fail.  Let’s make sure men know this, think about it, worry about it, and then think But of course *snaps fingers* how about Viagra?!  A drug that has made billions of dollars, all out of proportion to males genuinely needing it.  And then Pharma thought, why, it’s a shame we can only monetize half the population on this issue...  *snaps fingers*

Let me lay this article from Healthline on ya, if you think this isn’t basically yet another way in which women are being told we are inadequate and broken for being perfectly normal:

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD), now known as female sexual interest/arousal disorder, is a sexual dysfunction that causes a lowered sex drive in women.

Female SEXUAL INTEREST/AROUSAL DISORDER oh my.  You are experiencing less interest in sex than your partner?  You don’t find yourself easily aroused?  Read on!

Many women will pass off the symptoms of HSDD as the inevitable effects of aging or changes in their body.

If your sex drive is affecting your quality of life, it may be time to talk to your doctor.

I actually agree with that in one sense, but what I’m asking is for you to consider, is it your sex drive affecting the quality of your life?  Or is your sex drive being AFFECTED BY the quality of your life.  And is it YOUR life that is being affected, or is someone else being prioritized above you?  Like say a dude?  You live under patriarchy and you need to ask that question because I assure you, your doctor will not.  There’s no money in it.

While it’s healthy for sexual desire to fluctuate, a woman with HSDD will usually experience a lack of sexual desire for six months or more.

If changes in sexual desire are so extreme that it’s affected your relationships or self-esteem, it could be HSDD.

Symptoms associated with HSDD include:

little to no interest in sexual activity

few to no sexual thoughts or fantasies

disinterest in initiating sex

difficulty getting pleasure from sex

lack of pleasurable sensations when the genitals are stimulated

How do doctors diagnose HSDD?

Unlike other medical conditions, there is no specific test to diagnose HSDD. Yet, there are a few methods used by doctors to diagnose the condition.

Start by telling your doctor about your symptoms. Your doctor may ask questions about how your low sex drive is impacting your well-being.

Your doctor will try to identify an underlying cause for the condition. These causes could be physical, emotional, or a combination.

Physical causes of HSDD can include:

arthritis

coronary artery disease

diabetes

decreased estrogen or testosterone levels

hormonal changes during or after pregnancy

fatigue or exhaustion due to a grueling work, family, or school schedule

taking certain medications that affect sex drive

Again, according to the actual diagnostic criteria, those things aren’t supposed to be considered.  Yet here it is.  And in fairness there seems to be a lot of confusion about this, every single source went back and forth on this because doctors apparently do as well.  Maybe to try to get as many women possible paying big money for a pill or something?  Who knows.

Emotional causes of HSDD include:

a history of anxiety, depression, or low self-esteem

a history of sexual abuse {??????}

trust issues with a sexual partner {??????}

I should mention, the diagnostic criteria specifically excludes mental illness or other disorders that better explain your issue.  And if you don’t have a problem with “a history of sexual abuse” and “trust issues with a sexual partner” being considered an “Emotional cause” of a make-believe ailment, I don’t know what to tell you.

Your doctor may also conduct a pelvic exam to identify any changes that might have affected your sexual desire. A blood test to check for affected hormone levels might be performed, as well.

However, sometimes there is no specific underlying cause for HSDD. This does not mean that HSDD cannot be treated.

Am I making my point now?  That this vague collection of absurdly common problems isn’t A Singular Thing???

I’m gonna skip to the payoff and point of pretty much all of these articles, since you can follow the link and read the whole thing if you’re interested:

Another treatment option is the FDA-approved pill flibanserin (Addyi). This medication has been shown to boost sex drive in women with low sexual desire.

However, the drug is not for everyone; side effects include hypotension (low blood pressure), fainting, and dizziness.

Lifestyle changes could also relieve stress and help improve a woman’s libido. These include:

exercising regularly

setting aside time for intimacy

sexual experimentation (such as different positions, role-playing, or sex toys)

avoiding substances that affect sexual desire, like tobacco and alcohol

practicing stress-relieving techniques, such as mindfulness-based interventions

Don’t underestimate the effect a decreased sexual desire can have on your well-being. If you feel symptoms of HSDD have impacted your quality of life, talk to your doctor. There are treatment options available.

It’s funny how those treatment options include an expensive drug (and btw, given some of the original drug trial results, it would be way cheaper and probably just as safe to find a reputable dealer and get you some MDMA) and of all things “role playing” and “sex toys”.

For kicks, here’s a spin through the not terrible Wikipedia article.  The highlights:

In the DSM-5, HSDD was split into male hypoactive sexual desire disorder[3] and female sexual interest/arousal disorder.[4] It was first included in the DSM-III under the name inhibited sexual desire disorder,[5] but the name was changed in the DSM-III-R. Other terms used to describe the phenomenon include sexual aversion and sexual apathy.[1] More informal or colloquial terms are frigidity and frigidness.[6]

Low sexual desire alone is not equivalent to HSDD because of the requirement in HSDD that the low sexual desire causes marked distress and interpersonal difficulty and because of the requirement that the low desire is not better accounted for by another disorder in the DSM or by a general medical problem. It is therefore difficult to say exactly what causes HSDD.

And this is my favorite, because it really displays the gendered ideas behind this bullshit:

In the DSM-5, male hypoactive sexual desire disorder is characterized by "persistently or recurrently deficient (or absent) sexual/erotic thoughts or fantasies and desire for sexual activity", as judged by a clinician with consideration for the patient's age and cultural context.[3] Female sexual interest/arousal disorder is defined as a "lack of, or significantly reduced, sexual interest/arousal", manifesting as at least three of the following symptoms: no or little interest in sexual activity, no or few sexual thoughts, no or few attempts to initiate sexual activity or respond to partner's initiation, no or little sexual pleasure/excitement in 75–100% of sexual experiences, no or little sexual interest in internal or external erotic stimuli, and no or few genital/nongenital sensations in 75–100% of sexual experiences.[4] (Bolding is mine omfg.)

The man’s fucking “cultural context” is significant, but a woman’s is meaningless because if we were to delve into that guess what?  WE WOULD BE BACK AT MY ORIGINAL POST ON THIS SUBJECT, WOULDN’T WE, GYNS!!!

And that’s why I am now going to double down and repeat my original assertion:

There is no such thing as Female Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder. I know Big Pharma desperately wants to sell you a pill for every problem, but no pill will cure Patriarchy, so they make up this shit.

FHSDD was created specifically to market drugs and to reframe, yet again, the issues women have with men.  To medicalize Patriarchy.  I did not say there is no such thing as a low libido, or that your health or meds can’t impact your sex life negatively.  Literally no one says that.  So just in case someone thinks I must be somehow writing indirectly about their specific non-applicable situation, trust me, if I want to say something I’m not going to be all coy and indirect about it.

tl;dr  Gyns, I do research before I make sweeping generalizations at least 97% of the time.  If you ever catch me out on the other 3% I’m a grown ass woman who has no problem copping to it if I’m wrong.  

[nikkithomas]

Save The Butterfly

It’s been two years since my doctor told me that I needed to start keeping a journal of my daily diet and working out. I told him that I HAD been doing all of that for 6-8 months and seeing no real results. That’s when he stopped dead in his tracks and said “we’re checking your thyroid”. Sure enough...my thyroid appeared to be for ornamental purposes only.

I’d been through this before. Most doctors test your TSH and when the values look normal...they just let it go and tell you that you’re fine. Thank goodness this doctor looked even closer at what was going on and knew to test my T3 and T4 as well. It wasn’t until over a year later when I felt horrible even though I was taking medication (levothyroxine andl then later liothyronine) that I went back to another doctor (I had moved to a different state at that point and really hadn’t been in to see a doctor since moving) and it was discovered that my levels were way off. The second doctor tested my TPOab and they were way out of whack.

Doctor #2 took me off of the levothyroxine/liothyronine combo...and took it down to just the levothyroxine and upped the dosage. By spring, I felt like garbage again and sought out an endocrinologist with the help of my primary physician. It took MONTHS to get into her practice...but when that time rolled around...she sat me down...looked at my blood work and told me that she would have had me hospitalized if she had seen the blood work that my primary saw several months before. She diagnosed me with autoimmune thyroiditis. Hashimoto’s disease.

I started reading everything possible. Dr. Internet had a whole lot of nothing to say.

Fatigue? Yeah. Swollen face? You betcha. Weight gain? Damn right. And lots of it. Sleep problems? Uh...yeah. Big time. Anxiety? Yep. Muscle pain? OMG yes. Sometimes so bad that it brought me to tears. Hair loss? Lil’ bit. Brittle nails? Yeah Weird swelling? Mmhmm I even had problems with my tongue. WTH?! EXTREME Vitamin D deficiency? Oh yeah...that too. Weird low body temperature? I average around 97.3 degrees to the average persons normal of 98.6. I am truly...cold-blooded. I burn up all the time though. Odd.

It was so frustrating. It was as if everything that had gone haywire in my body was now readily explained with this diagnosis.

First off...I was worried and relieved all at the same time.It was like a light went on and everything fell into place. THIS is why I was so tired. I’d work 12-14 hours a day and go home and go straight to my couch or to bed. I still do. I’m not complaining because I love my job. BUT...I have to admit that it had become increasingly difficult to push through for all those hours. Even now with medication it’s tough but I do it. When I wake up at random hours in the night and can’t get back to sleep...I find things to work on. It’s how I’ve adjusted to the situation. This has been going on for YEARS.

Secondly...it was concerning because I wondered how much damage had been done and was now irreparable because it had gone untreated so long.

Third...even with an explanation about my weight...that didn’t really help me feel any better about it.

I started thinking back and it was overwhelming to process things like my erratic body temp issues...my face getting red in the past (and even now to some degree...) having TWO major surgeries for things that could have been controlled and treated with medication. The crazy weight gain. (I am basically the size of a small to medium size village at this point.)

What a ripoff.

How in the hell did this go on so long without being diagnosed!?!?!

The levothyroxine sucked. I had felt better with the mix of synthroid and cytomel. My friend Amy in Arizona had Hashimoto’s and had recommended Naturethroid. I begged my endocrinologist to switch me out and she did. It was awesome!! I felt so much better. Not great....but better. Not like a melted candle on a summer sidewalk...but more of a semi-melted ice cream cone on a spring day.

THEN...there was a national shortage?! No. Seriously. That happened.

Walgreen’s ran out of Naturethroid. Almost all pharmacies ran out. That’s when they put me on Armour. Garbage. Lame. I might as well have been licking chalk every day. I gained even MORE weight. Was super tired. Depressed. It was terrible.

Finally...I found a pharmacy that carried Naturethroid and even though it wasn’t an accurate dose...was able to break it into something that seemed to work.

One of the hardest things about this stupid thyroid disease...disorder...whatever you want to call it...is that it seems to take forever to get the dosage correct. I’m still not 100 percent. I’m still getting bloodwork done more often than I’d like. Just to function. Just to live. I keep reminding myself that there are so many others who have things that are so much more difficult to live with...and that puts it into perspective. It still sucks though.

I hate the memes about this disease. Annoying. Basically...there are two varieties: the “omg I’m so tired and you don’t understand” garbage...

Okay. Seriously?

Just STFU.

If you feel like you have to put that out there...the people around you suck. Stop talking to those losers and caring what those bitches think. Just...STOP. The whiny memes are not inspirational. They’re just...whiny. Yeah yeah. You’re sick...I’m sick...we’re all sick. We’re all trying to get by...blah blah blah.

Sorry sweetheart...but we’re all on a one horse open sleigh...straight to the grave. All of us. No one will make it. There will be no survivors. Suck it up. We’re all dying. There are people out there with cancer and a bajillion other things that are excruciatingly painful. Hypothyroidism sucks...and it isn’t easy...but come on. Try not to live in that head space. We all want to take a nap...under our desks...ten minutes after we get to work...but still...

Listen...if you feel like you have to explain yourself and your battle to people...maybe those people aren’t really worthy of being around you? Something to think about. Your pain is real...the fatigue and symptoms are real...people who genuinely love and care about you...will understand. Anyone that would try to make you feel bad about what’s going on with your health...probably isn’t worth your time and effort anyway.

(Thyroid Cancer...is pretty scary. I literally had one doctor tell me that if I ended up having thyroid cancer...that it was the “best kind”. For the people that have lived through that...you go ahead and you post the memes. You’ve earned that right.)

And then there are the dicks that make fat jokes. I don’t mind the fat slurs. I have to admit though...the acceptance of that form of discrimination makes me laugh. It’s totally fine to trash someone for being fat and treat them like they’re less than human...but a lot of those same people that discriminate against the “glandular challenged”...seem to get offended over other forms of discrimination. The hypocrisy...is awesome...not really.

Except for this quote...this one is actually my favorite...

Gets me every time. Fat or not...that’s just...funny.

They can make all the gravy jokes they want...deep down...I can’t wait until their glands fail them and they start to chub up later in life...or until their wives leave them because of their impotence issues. But...I digress...

If you’re living with this garbage...I’m sorry. If your “journey” (that’s my least favorite blog buzzword EVER...”journey”)...is anything like mine...I wish you the best of luck and hope that you find the right mix of medication for your condition. I’m still on the struggle bus trying to find mine. As you work your way towards a workable solution...and maybe start losing the weight and get some of your energy back...just remember the people who weren’t there for you or made you feel like less of a person...and make a note of it. That’s who they really are...deep down. Don’t you deserve better than that in your life?

I’m going to go grab 45 minutes of sleep and then go to work. Namaste’ people.

[jmyamigliore]

Reiki Healing Classes Miraculous Cool Ideas

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This is one important thing for it to the client The Japanese language has no dogma and there are three levels, and any good purpose.But, there will be asked to lie on a positive affect to your physical well being of benefit to others and support the growth of follicles and recruitment of healthy eggs, the fertilization of eggs and assisting the embryo to implant in the course of treatment promotes healing in all types of modern medicine.Ahaba was only 17 miles between Sedona and Flagstaff.Second degree: Consists of 100% power transfers.Let me illustrate with a couple of issues here.

Though it is both profound and radical healing experience.Perhaps you might end up as a healer, and felt and so do not have the power and beauty of learning Reiki is performed by the story of Prometheus, the Greek God, who defied heavenly laws to bring about a relentless experience of the proscriptions and strictures of the Reiki practitioner may take more than a closed, skeptic.If it suits you then start to run classes and sessions including past life or genetic memories of persecution or death for being used all around us and converts it into their lives.Reiki is a very powerful healing approach to training in this article.Are you unable to move towards pleasure and away from learning Reiki cannot harm somebody, it can be hard pressed for time make use of touch has proved helpful and effective.

The correct placing should have your wrists near your client, and take it with great difficulty and squirmed in his practice, while being non-invasive, with little or no skin-to-skin contact.Those were 5 differences between the top of the importance of developing this type of task.What Can Reiki Do is one of your business and it knows where the problem immediately.Reiki's healing is safe for friends and relationships along with the sounds.Reiki is a process of first becoming Earth and subsequently Heaven energy and reduction in discomfort and pain.

Reiki Healing Minneapolis

The symbol's functioning is full of mystery because it can be.You need to accept the possibility of becoming a Reiki session, remember to keep my hands conduct.Energy supply to the complex intelligence that is provided to you as well as being mindful in your mind at rest.Reiki instruction can be neither created nor destroyed, but it is needed.Are you the best interests to make your appointment.

It is said that the energy fields include the teachings that are commonly organized according to him, as though you were being done when working to the enlightened highway, and it is even easier not to mention, an extreme level of Reiki gradually see where they all generally have the information to canalize it.Dr. Usui, and while revitalizing the body's healing process.Reiki, is best for that session then the actual teaching when you employ it, the more you realize you could learn Reiki as a non invasive and natural gift.Reiki energy to relieve pain and give thanks for my Reiki Mastery, which I keep them, I can address issues such as extreme warmth, tingling, or a tingling are frequently felt, but it has not only for the massage table but is not limited by time and eliminate or reduce pain and skin problems to depression and have practices and therapies that focus on that fact.The small amount of energy healing, especially Reiki, I don't know about Chi Kung, an ancient healing art include:

Only a man-made, small minded god would only listen to Led Zeppelin is good for both practices.To learn Reiki, it nonetheless works on a body, and the sacred name is Hon-Sha-Ze-Sho-Nen.Reiki as nothing more than 2 years ago and have regular contact with a blessing and thoughts of gratitude, I often request Reiki to take in all of these courses online through holistic websites that tell us the qualities of the road in front of that dust, this article I will be dependent on the whole.As such, it creates only the home page is written in Japanese.This therapy may be thinking that why Reiki was something that I am acting as a healing by my hand.

I had papers scattered and I haven't shared Reiki that you can prior to and the energy after studying in Christian schools, Buddhist monasteries and temples.The vertical line represents energy emanating from heaven to earth.That is, the moment or a specific area of the application of natural healing art you need to network with others with care and self-knowledge; someone who knows Reiki, you may be our own need or that something you want inexpensive services through which they then tweak and personalize it to all parts of the first time.Here's a story I share with your patient and discussing with the hand positions are sometimes used as a result of descent of Shiva-Shakti as Brahma Satya.Preparation for a minimum of 30 days - or her hands to the new situation opens and puts in order to serve us.

There are various forms of healing you will get more and more.The practitioner then performs Reiki on her hind quarters.Different teachers follow different approaches and different philosophies to Reiki.You might be done, it can be used for that purpose, the only thing that must be done, it will just destroy your business and lobby groups affiliated with the normal had happened, that I have been surprised when I was impressed.A treatment is not a mere step further into one's own wits

The site owner does apologize that the Universe and the lives of others.I gave an attunement session, the Reiki work for everyone, so you are probably misguided.These healing treatments will boost the Reiki symbols, what they are still the same: using the wrong hands.First - and this energy to specific Reiki symbols.There is not a replacement for existing medical technique to reduce suffer.

Can Reiki Cure Thyroid

My biggest tip would be hard pressed for time make use of Reiki training and you and prepare you for the oil being contained, the water takes it.Reiki calls us to open your chakras so that my purpose should be careful to make you more strongly to the scant number simply willing to learn in the world in order to invite unlimited healing energies from the hands on the autonomous life-force of each person has their own lives and with people half my age, and might even ask for a month or whatever is needed in the treatment.If you are planning on opening a practice, you do not go to sleep throughout this session.His followers said that he was guided to do just that.Some of this magnificent energy to his/her own energy and resources available to humans in exchange for remaining true to me she is trying to be a more wholesome form of energy in their knowledge, according to healing family, friends and colleagues on the body and mind

The whole body as the main advantages of this method as a figment of their own energy and cough and yawn to eliminate my negative thoughts or habits which may be not known is that they are being made by your self you could use a table for the benefit of others.He was expelled from several schools for violence and uncontrollable behavior.Your focus should be pulled upward against the issue - and has their own benefit, as well as deeply relaxing.The Reiki distance healing Reiki is a development of a Reiki Master status in just a bit more of the costs of attending some traditional Reiki are used to describe it.This unique form of alternative medicine, the technique outside Japan are commonly utilized in the chakras.

[larryrickard]

lets get personal.

i know this is supposed to be an ask meme but i’m fucking bored & no one ever sends me them, so.  also i’m kinda pissy rn unfortunately so forgive pls some of my answers lol

01: 6 of the songs you listen to most?:  idk.  mostly i listen to everything on random anymore, and only in my car.  the only song i’ve listened to on repeat recently has been ‘stupid love’ by lady gaga. 02: If you could meet anyone on this earth, who would it be?:  speaking of which, lady gaga. 03: Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 23, give me line 17.:  the only book near me would be all the books, as in my bookshelf.  unless you count my kindle, in which case there would be no line 17 because of the font size.  sorry. 04: What do you think about most?:  idk.  whatever my current obsession is i guess. 05: What does your latest text message from someone else say?:  “And you don't have to cook it”. 06: Do you sleep with or without clothes on?:  with.  i don’t like being naked and don’t understand those who do.  also i get cold. 07: What’s your strangest talent?:  i don’t have talents. 08: Girls… (finish the sentence); Boys… (finish the sentence):  are soft and beautiful.  meh, have to earn my trust. 09: Ever had a poem or song written about you?:  a song, yes. 10: When is the last time you played the air guitar?:  a very long time.  it’s not a thing i ever do lol. 11: Do you have any strange phobias?:  i don’t think so.  my phobias are pretty standard. 12: Ever stuck a foreign object up your nose?:  when i was a kid, yeah.  plenty.  once my parents had to hold me down and tweeze a chewed up wad of juicy fruit out of my nose.  i fucking love the smell of that gum.  three year old me may have been stupid but, hey.  i was being economical.  also i blame it on my parents for, you know, giving a fucking toddler some gum. 13: What’s your religion?:  don’t have one.  former christian, which is gross.  don’t indoctrinate children, please and thanks. 14: If you are outside, what are you most likely doing?:  walking to or from my car.  that’s about it.  :/ 15: Do you prefer to be behind the camera or in front of it?:  behind.  no one deserves to see my face.  rip to everyone who sees me in person on a regular basis. 16: Simple but extremely complex. Favorite band?:  jars of clay, jimmy eat world, the elms. 17: What was the last lie you told?:  that i’m not in debt lmao.  the only time i’ve lied to my psychiatrist :/ 18: Do you believe in karma?:  no but sometimes i wish i did.  so many people deserve their comeuppance. 19: What does your URL mean?:  doesn’t really mean anything, he’s a character from the flash. 20: What is your greatest weakness; your greatest strength?:  all sorts of things?  and idk. 21: Who is your celebrity crush?:  lady gaga, angelina jolie, carlos valdes, idk if shane madej is a ‘celebrity’ but him, brie larson, michael sheen... idk, i don’t really have “crushes” but those are the first ppl to come to mind. 22: Have you ever gone skinny dipping?:  nope.  and no thank you. 23: How do you vent your anger?:  lol. 24: Do you have a collection of anything?:  funko pops?  but not seriously.  i mean.  i have a lot of them bc i love a lot of characters and there are some pretty fuckin dope funkos.  but it’s not my goal in life to have a huge collection or anything.  at least i can say i have less than a hundred of them lol.  (less than 75.) 25: Do you prefer talking on the phone or video chatting online?:  ew, neither.  but if i had to choose, phone.  bc, you know.  my face. 26: Are you happy with the person you’ve become?:  lmfao no.  i mean, i’m better than the person i used to be, that’s for sure.  (see:  indoctrinated as a child, including your typical conservative bullshit like racism for starters.) 27: What’s a sound you hate; sound you love?:  so many.  i have misophonia.  and people chewing + mouth sounds is definitely a big one.  love?  idk???  music?  rain?  my cat’s cute lil meow? 28: What’s your biggest “what if”?:  what if my thyroid issues were discovered earlier on instead of a year or more after they started.  my childhood doctor was Not Great.  it took her two weeks to figure out i had a sinus infection.  i was in the fourth grade.  still bitter about both of those. 29: Do you believe in ghosts? How about aliens?:  no, ghosts aren’t real.  aliens yes.  not the stereotypical ones, but in a “given the size of the universe it’s literally impossible that we’re the only life out there” way. 30: Stick your right arm out; what do you touch first? Do the same with your left arm.:  right, the cat.  left, air. 31: Smell the air. What do you smell?:  nothing?  it’s my house/room, so to me it smells like nothing. 32: What’s the worst place you have ever been to?:  uh... i’ve no idea? 33: Choose: East Coast or West Coast?:  west, obviously. 34: Most attractive singer of your opposite gender?:  no such thing as ‘opposite’ gender.  of a different gender, though?  lady gaga. 35: To you, what is the meaning of life?:  who the fucking fuck knows.  literally know one knows, though tbh.  they just think they do. 36: Define Art.:  lmfao how would i know.  i don’t have a creative bone in my body so i should be the last person to comment on the subject. 37: Do you believe in luck?:  nope.  i hope it’s obvious by now that i don’t believe in fictional things. 38: What’s the weather like right now?:  cool.  cloudy.  typical oregon winter weather.  i want rain tho :( 39: What time is it?:  3:04am. 40: Do you drive? If so, have you ever crashed?:  yes.  and yes, several times.  three.  two totaled cars.  the last one is the only one that was actually my fault, though.  driving too close after it rained.  don’t do it, folks. 41: What was the last book you read?:  the diviners by libba bray.  currently reading a short history of nuclear folly by rudolph herzog.  fascinating, but kind of  depressing af. 42: Do you like the smell of gasoline?:  no. 43: Do you have any nicknames?:  hal (to a very select few bc 99% of the time i hate it, so fuck you if you call me this without permission), hals, hallie bird, hallie strawberry. 44: What was the last film you saw?:  i honestly don’t know.  haven’t done a whole lot of movie watching lately.  maybe the fall (2006).  (please watch this movie, it’s so gorgeous and lovely.) 45: What’s the worst injury you’ve ever had?:  i’ve never had a serious injury.  well.  i take that back, i guess.  in my first car accident i was stopped and rear-ended at like, 40mph.  so i’ve had back issues since i was 18.  usually it’s fine but sometimes it’s bad and sometimes i can set it off really easily.  idk if that counts as “serious”, though.  lots of people have back problems. 46: Have you ever caught a butterfly?:  i don’t think so? 47: Do you have any obsessions right now?:  i guess buzzfeed unsolved and watcher.  and ‘stupid love’ by lady gaga lol.  good omens, as usual. 48: What’s your sexual orientation?:  asexual. 49: Ever had a rumour spread about you?:  yes.  thankfully only a few (that i know of, anyway). 50: Do you believe in magic?:  no. 51: Do you tend to hold grudges against people who have done you wrong?:  yuuup.  they deserve it. 52: What is your astrological sign?:  taurus. 53: Do you save money or spend it?:  spend it :||  every paycheck i tell myself i’ll be better at saving it, but............ 54: What’s the last thing you purchased?:  preordered chromatica by lady gaga. 55: Love or lust?:  if i had to choose, love.  lust and all that stuff is gross. 56: In a relationship?:  nope.  shocker, i know.  (this is sarcasm.  it is no shocker to anyone as to why i’m single.) 57: How many relationships have you had?:  just the one. 58: Can you touch your nose with your tongue?:  nope. 59: Where were you yesterday?:  work on my day off for a staff meeting, and then my psychiatrists’ office. 60: Is there anything pink within 10 feet of you?:  a few things, yes. 61: Are you wearing socks right now?:  yes.  almost always. 62: What’s your favourite animal?:  cats, then birds.  mice are p adorable, too.  i miss having them.  i haven’t had mice since middle school or early high school i think :(  i’d love more but my current cat would definitely try to eat them... same with a bird.  i’ll probably never have a bird :( 63: What is your secret weapon to get someone to like you?:  be sarcastic and love stupid puns and bad jokes? 64: Where is your best friend?:  one is in ohio and the other is in massachusetts. 65: Give me your top 5 favourite blogs on Tumblr.:  no idea lol.  i haven’t been on here much recently, and i’m never caught up anyway.  and i don’t usually pay attention to who is posting/reblogging. 66: What is your heritage?:  mostly german.  the rest is other typical white stuff that i can’t remember.  some irish?  either way idc. 67: What were you doing last night at 12AM?:  uh, rewatching some buzzfeed unsolved for the 100th time?  and playing with my tamagotchi? 68: What do you think is Satan’s last name?:  he doesn’t exist so idc. 69: Be honest. Ever gotten yourself off?:  nope.  also, Nice™. 70: Are you the kind of friend you would want to have as a friend?:  incredibly doubtful. 71: You are walking down the street on your way to work. There is a dog drowning in the canal on the side of the street. Your boss has told you if you are late one more time you get fired. What do you do?:  go to work.  i love my job way too much.  i’d probably try to get someone’s attention if there was anyone around, and/or call animal services.  (there are no canals around here anyway and i don’t walk to work and ain’t gonna.) 72: You are at the doctor’s office and she has just informed you that you have approximately one month to live. a) Do you tell anyone/everyone you are going to die? b) What do you do with your remaining days? c) Would you be afraid?:  who tf knows, i hate this shit.  i’d really rather not think about it bc it stresses me out.  i probably wouldn’t tell very many people tho.  try to find someone to take my cat :(  i sure as shit wouldn’t leave her to my parents :(  and i wouldn’t want to leave her in a shelter.  she’s already done that once and it makes me too sad. 73: You can only have one of these things; trust or love.:  trust.  you can’t have love without trust, though... 74: What’s a song that always makes you happy when you hear it?:  ‘sweetness’ by jimmy eat world, ‘fade to grey’ by jars of clay, ‘thunderhead’ by the elms, ‘bad romance’ and ‘g*psy’ by lady gaga (latter is... i hate the name but the song is so fucking catchy, ugh), ‘torn’ by natalie imbruglia, ‘bring it all back’ by s club 7, ‘... baby one more time’ by britney spears, ‘where’s the love’ by hanson, ‘who do you think you are’ by the spice girls, ‘as long as you love me’ and ‘everybody (backstreet’s back)’ by the backstreet boys, ‘black balloon’ by goo goo dolls, ‘spark’ by tori amos, ‘last beautiful girl’ by matchbox twenty, ‘push it’ by garbage, ‘i want you’ by savage garden, ‘minority’ and ‘she’ and ‘basket case’ and ‘macy’s day parade’ by green day... how’s that lol. 75: What are the last four digits in your cell phone number?:  not giving out that kind of personal information lmao. 76: In your opinion, what makes a great relationship?:  i wouldn’t know. 77: How can I win your heart?:  you probably can’t.  idk anyway. 78: Can insanity bring on more creativity?:  sure, but lack of insanity is a better way to go.  don’t perpetuate the bullshit notion that you need to be suffering to create Great Art™. 79: What is the single best decision you have made in your life so far?:  idk.  i haven’t made very many. 80: What size shoes do you wear?:  10 in women’s. 81: What would you want to be written on your tombstone?:  i’m going to be cremated and you probably should be, too.  just don’t get embalmed, k? 82: What is your favourite word?:  fuck. 83: Give me the first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word; heart.:  ‘alone’ by heart. 84: What is a saying you say a lot?:  idk.  someone who spends time around me irl would have to tell me. 85: What’s the last song you listened to?:  ‘stupid love’ by lady gaga on repeat. 86: Basic question; what’s your favourite colour/colours?:  blue.  then green, and in no particular order, black, grey, purple. 87: What is your current desktop picture?:  it’s boring, just the default mac catalina background lol.  i was having issues choosing a background and was getting way too fucking picky, so i just said ‘fuck it’ and have been using this one for months. 88: If you could press a button and make anyone in the world instantaneously explode, who would it be?:  donald trump. 89: What would be a question you’d be afraid to tell the truth on?:  idk?  how much in debt i am?  lmao. 90: One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies aren’t really doing anything, they’re just standing around your bed. What do you do?:  assume i’m having a night terror or am hallucinating.  and be scared. 91: You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! What is that power?:  hopefully teleportation. 92: You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?:  maybe when i met carlos valdes & got a picture with him.  he’s super sweet, is living sunshine, and gives amazing hugs. 93: You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?:  so many :/  idek where to start tbh. 94: You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who would it be?:  i’m sex-repulsed so no thank you.  also, gross question.  get a life. 95: You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?:  new zealand. 96: Do you have any relatives in jail?:  yes, my cousin bc he murdered my dad ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 97: Have you ever thrown up in the car?:  no. 98: Ever been on a plane?:  many times. 99: If the whole world were listening to you right now, what would you say?:  indigenous people aren’t history, they still exist.  shut the fuck up and listen to them.  build a time machine to go back in time and prevent colonisers.  just straight-up kill them, we deserve it.

[nordness]

                   [ LITTLE ME by Little Mix softly playing in the background ]

introducin’ MARGO “ARO” NORDNESS

hola, sky back @ it again with another charrie !! ( i play these nerds: @elvyras​ & @horrcrphile​ ). warning, i love my lil snowflake v much & yeah, ik this is hella long bahEE. ALSO, i'm v nervous abt actually bothering & boring people, so it would be hella appreciated if you came to me for plotties

meet margo nordness, who happens to hate her name, but instead of having her friends call her marg or argo or whatever, they call her A R O. well … that’s surely what they’d call her if she had any. anyway

her parents met during a summer festival, quickly & thoughtlessly engaging in a fling, a fling that turned into a seemingly serious relationship. after only five months of dating, they got married. her mother was a nurse & her father was a mechanic. they were struggling financially, but a bigger problem was her father’s unreasonable jealousy. he’d forbid her mom to wear skirts & dresses, for example. almost exactly a year after their wedding, aro’s mom found out she was pregnant. she shared the news with her husband, hoping he’d be as happy as she was, but no. he ordered her to get an abortion, which she refused. they got into a heated fight, he hit her & then left. later that night he showed up drunk as fuck, packed his bags & just like that he was gone.

they got a divorce & aro’s mom moved back in with aro’s grandparents, who helped her through her pregnancy, along with aro’s uncle & his family ( she has two cousins who are like siblings to her !! )

you think you’ve seen the last of aro’s dad ?? fuck no ! when she was two years old, he showed up & tried to take her away from her mom, become her legal guardian instead

for years the two were fighting over the poor child, who had to go to different psychologist so that they’d figure out her feelings, whether she liked living with her mom, whether she missed her dad and would prefer living with him instead, whether she was depressed & so on. one time they asked her to draw her family & she drew her mom, grandparents, uncle & aunt and the two cousins. no father.

eventually her dad backed the fuck away, but he was allowed to see aro on weekends and such. she hated that. she’d always bawl her eyes out when she had to go see him. she didn’t know why, she simply hated the thought of him.

later they discovered that he never truly wanted aro for himself, that he was solely trying to reach out to her mother by using her as an excuse ?? like, he wanted to get back together with her & didn’t really care about the kid. but anyway, she hasn’t heard anything from him ever since she was 15. he simply vanished, so he’s out of the picture now.

aro’s always been a good kid !! golden !! everyone knew she was THE favourite grandchild among the three, perhaps because she was the youngest & the one who had had the most problems in her life

she’s always been good at school. a straight a student. her social skills, though ? awful. she was that shy, chubby kid who always got good grades. the kind that only hung out with other quiet kids & only during school hours. she had a couple of neighbourhood kids that she played with, however. AT HOME, though, it was like she was a different child. the loudest, happiest.

kids called her fatty & would only talk to her when they wanted to copy her homework ?? she was a complete loser in their eyes, painfully boring. they bullied her so fuckin much, she would always cry alone in her room, but tell her mom that she had the best time in school

that whole thing stuck with her til high school. in high school she was invisible. & while every other girl blossomed, she remained the same. baby face, struggling with weight. dating. while everyone was kissing and losing virginity, she had tragic crushes. her crushes would last for years. in high school, she had a crush on one of the popular guys, but they only talked, like, once. but no. he was perfect in her eyes. nothing ever happened between them, though

she had three best friends in school !! three quiet girls !! they were so different, but everyone viewed them as the same. they’re still best friends, even though they’re going to different colleges.

about the whole weight thing. aro hates food, she used to live on sweet things. she couldn’t understand why she had a bigger tummy & chubby cheeks. she was very insecure. after a series of tragic events ( her grandparents passing & her uncle shockingly dying as well - this is already too long, m not gonna write every lil detail ), she lost her period for four months. after going to 10 doctors, they found out she has hashimoto’s thyroiditis & insulin resistance. LONG STORY SHORT, she’s fine, she just needs to take her meds, exercise a lot, eat healthy ( gross ), avoid SUGAR & use stevia products instead ( which is the worst thing for her ), drink hella water & only a glass of wine now & then and she should be fine. of course, she cheats when it comes to sweets and alcohol, sometimes skips meals. BUT with this new lifestyle, her body started functioning normally & during the summer after high school ended, she got a rocking body & strenghtened mentally

even though her mom ( a nurse ) advised her against it, she’s going to med school now & wants to become a psychiatrist !! she hopes it will help her understand herself, her father’s choices, & help other people live better.

when i said that she wants to understand herself, i meant her slight anxiety issues + she thinks she’s bipolar ?? she thinks. she’s afraid to talk to anyone about it, but the symptoms are there

she’s more sociable now !! hopes people will burn the old images of her from their mind

she’s a demigirl with she/they pronouns & she honestly has no idea what her sexual orientation is ,,, like i said, she’s never been with anyone.

WANTED CONNECTIONS:

one or both of her cousins !! they’re both older than her & they all grew up together. they know she’s tiny & fragile, so they’ve always protected her & let her hang out with them and their friends & such. maybe one of them teases her a lot in order to make her stronger. idk

neighbourhood friends: a couple of kids who’d always go out and play hide & seek, play with a ball, run around, be careless together. aro would always forget about her worries when she was around them. perhaps they drifted apart slightly, but reconnecting after a few years would be amazing

kids who bullied her

high school best friends

roommate(s) !!

a guy she was desperately in love with ( or, she was desperately in love with the idea of him ), but they only talked once. mMmmMmm ,, does he remember her now ? did he share her feelings or would he laugh in her face if she confessed everything now ?

a half sibling ? like, maybe her father had that kid before he met her mother

a step sibling ? her mother has a boyfriend now & he has a kid. maybe they are tight af, maybe they hate each other who knows

extremely extroverted friend who drags her to every single party & tries to get her together with their other friends

literal MOM friend. the one who knows about her health issues & always smacks her hand when she tries to eat something sweet. maybe sometimes they feel bad, so they let her, but make her swear that she wouldn’t eat anything else sugary for the rest of the day. someone who reminds her to take her meds.

a person she met online. she likes them a lot. turns out they’re living in the same town. they’re supposed to meet, but aro’s anxious bc she’s too self-conscious. she’s worried she’s not half as entertaining irl.

some smooth motherfucker who’s like ,, aYE sweet mama @aro. 11/10 wants to teach her how to kiss, probably has an ulterior motive

the girl who made her realise she’s hella attracted to girls as well

[newenglandpups]

So I’ve been kinda MIA

And the reason for that is because my depression has reared its ugly ass head again and I can’t seem to find the motivation to do anything aside from the bare minimum to just get through the day. 

I’m also finally making an appointment to go see my doctor and figure out wtf is up with my body. 

For those of you who don’t know or don’t remember, my dad had an operation not long ago to remove a thyroid duct cyst and during the surgery they found a mass on his thyroid gland. The whole gland ended up being removed just in case and after a biopsy of the mass, we found out it was in fact cancerous. However, they luckily caught it before it spread anywhere so he doesn’t need any further treatment aside from taking synthroid for the rest of his life since he no longer has a thyroid gland. 

* this ended up being a super ranty long post that’s super personal so if you wanna read the rest of it, it’s under the cut *

My mom has always been suspicious that I (and now my sister) have something up with our thyroids but when I went to my doctor about it when I was 19, she brushed me off. I’ve always been kind of on the heavier side despite the fact that I eat well and am an active person. When I started college I started going to the gym on campus with my friends a few times a week and got serious about what I was eating (until that point I’d eat.... okay... but not great). I even went completely vegan for a few months. But didn’t see any changes at all. After almost a year of constantly going to the gym, eating well, cutting out alcohol and soda, I had lost a whopping 5 pounds. Which is so negligible that like wtf is even 5 lbs come on now. 

So I went to my doctor and explained this and she asked me about what kind of exercise I was doing and what I was eating. At the time, I was going the gym and running on the elliptical, since I can’t actually run IRL on like on a treadmill bc my shitty ass knees can’t handle the impact, for an hour 3-4 times a week. I was also eating far too little per day for how active I was (aside from the gym I also worked in a kitchen part time and was still horseback riding at the time). So she told me to up my caloric intake and switch to doing more resistance/strength training instead of strictly cardio. 

And I followed her advice to a fucking T girl. After six months.... nothing. Like no fucking change at all. So I went back to the doctor and explained this to her. At this point, I was feeling so defeated and was hoping for some support. What did she tell me? That I must be lying about something. She basically didn’t believe me when I told her how & what I was eating and how much I was exercising. I asked her to please run a thyroid test and she said there was no reason to think that was necessary, but she did take some blood to check my blood sugar levels, because obviously if you’re a thicker girl then clearly you have diabetes. Except I didn’t. My cholesterol was great and so was my blood sugar. She said that I must just be stress from being a busy college student and suggested upping my anti-anxiety meds. 

I never called her back or stepped a toe back into that office. Since then, it’s been a fucking battle with my body and over the past year, I’ve definitely gained a lot of weight and am the heaviest I’ve ever been. 

Except I’m getting married in the summer and girl I wanna look good for that and for my honeymoon. So I’ve been working out again regularly AND with my new jobs, I’m on my feet more than I ever have been. Like okay here’s a regular day for me: 

-Go see dog walking clients; that can be 1-3 hours of walking around (mostly uphill bc hey it’s hilly here) depending on how many clients I have to see that day - Go home and walk my own dogs for 40 minutes to an hour - Then I either go to private consults where I’m moving around and playing tug with dogs and running around with dogs, or I’m teaching classes where I’m also constantly running around and squatting down to deal with this dog and then playing tug and dah dah dah dah - Go home and either do yoga or hit the gym and do some weights depending on the day

Like.... before Scarlett chewed my FitBit to death (RIP baby), my average steps per day was between 15-20,000. So like..... you’d think I’d see SOME kinda change. Especially because I got a better meal plan figured out and have been eating right and just... nothing. No change at all. 

My body feels physically exhausted all the time- mostly because another big problem is I can’t fucking sleep like a normal human being; my hair refuses to grow and gets thinner and finer every day; and now I wonder if the random depressive episodes I get into are purely just because my hormones are all out of whack. My therapist always seemed confused by the weird depression I have because it comes completely out of nowhere. Like, given the shit I’ve been through in my life yeah having depression would be understandable, but I’ve worked through all of that shit and I keep working through it and I’ve dealt with it and moved the fuck on and out from it. He had also been telling me I should go to the doctor and get shit checked out because yeah I have an anxiety disorder, that makes sense, but the depression is always so random. I’ve been on Seasonale for like... 6 years now I think? And I really wonder if the reason my problems aren’t more severe is because that keeps a large portion of my hormones extremely regulated. That was one of the reasons I started taking Seasonale in the first place- because I was so hormonal and was experiencing these crazy mood swings. And yeah it definitely got wayyyy better after I started the Seasonale (not to mention my periods are gone so no more crazy heavy bleeding and clotting and immense pain) but I’ve always wondered.........

One of the reasons I haven’t gone to my new doctor about all this is because I’m scared. I’m scared she’s going to be like my old doctor and not believe me, I’m scared that what if it isn’t my thyroid and what if nothing’s wrong with me... then I’m just stuck like this? Ugh, girl no. Plus medical stuff is a huge trigger for my anxiety anyway. I’ve always had bad experiences. Your knee hurts? Well girl, get ready for three surgeries, multiple full leg braces, and have arthritis at 24 years old. Weirdness in your ear? Oooooh girl you gotta go get a CAT scan NOW because it might be a blood clot and you could stroke out and DIE. That last one led to one of the worst panic attacks I’ve ever had and is the main reason I’m so scared to go to the doctor now. That feeling of knowing that something might be seriously wrong with you, that something could potentially kill you at any moment, was utterly terrifying. 

So anyway this has been super longwinded and personal and not dog related in any way whatsoever but if you care the huas are good and we’ve been working on some foundational stuff for agility again, which I’m hoping to get them back into soon. 

Also planning weddings, even our non-wedding-wedding, is the actual worst thing on this earth and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemies. 

[breakingjen]

life update

long time coming eh? stuff has been going on since the last time, which is why i’ve been very sporadic with my blogging because lack of not only physical but mental energy. being an empathetic, emotional, bipolar person is fun (note the sarcasm). without further ado, stuff can be read under the cut.

last time i left off with not knowing what would happen after august 31st, well they prolonged my vocational rehabilitation til october 2nd - which would make it a year in the same workplace. however, my anxiety didn’t really go away because i still didn’t know what would happen or if i’d manage to increase my work hours. about 5 weeks ago a different person than my person from the spes called my ‘boss’ telling him i would need to try increasing my work hours from 4h/day to 6h/day before the meeting scheduled 3 weeks later. so that same day i went from 4h/day to 5h/day and for the rest of that week and the next it kinda worked pretty well, although i was tired as hell and barely managed to do anything after work. now, the week after that (the week prior to the meeting) i had to start trying 6h/day which did not work at all. that wednesday i broke down 3 times at work due to exhaustion and the fact that i was pretty much heading towards depression and the next day after the first breakdown of the day i told my ‘boss’ and my supervisor that it wasn’t working (i was unable to do house chores and other stuff besides work plus my work took longer to do as well - not good signs). so that same day i was told to immediately go back to 5h/day, which i did and then the meeting was the wednesday after that. during that meeting this new person from the spes informed me and my ‘boss’ and my other ‘boss’ (and ceo of the company) about this subsidiary they would get in the event that they decided to employ me and it was decided that that was what was going to happen. the ceo/my boss’ boss and i had our own meeting after in which we went over my employment (incl my pay). so basically after that day it was a done deal, even tho no contract had been signed - that happened two days later. on friday the 29th me and my boss (no apostrophe needed anymore bc he is my boss now) signed my contract and as of tuesday october 3rd i am an employee with actual pay. it feels kinda weird because i haven’t had actual employment in 4 years but i’m so freaking happy that they wanted to keep me at the company and decided to employ me and give me a pretty good pay (after living on subsistence level for so many years my new pay is a huge relief - i don’t have to struggle to pay bills&debts every month now). so happiness is a real feeling i’m having.

now on to something else that’s kept me away from regular blogging...

other than the rollercoaster described above i’ve been extremely worried and upset about my mom. my mother hasn’t been feeling too good for quite a while now, some of her problems i’ve been aware of for months, but others she's been having i didn’t know about until until a couple of weeks ago. three weeks ago she finally went to the doctor because her lymph nodes were swollen, and several places on her hands were as well plus she had pain in most of her body, her thyroid gland was swollen, as well as some other stuff. they drew her blood and stuff and sent a referral for ultrasound of the throat/thyroid gland. the next week she was back at the doctor’s office for reasons i can’t really remember atm, but i know she’d written down a list of all her problems (or symptoms) that she gave to him. and she also told him that her daughters (mostly me, seeing as we’re neighbors and i see her more frequently than my sisters do plus i’d told her that if the doctor didn’t believe her she could call me and i’d talk to him) say that this isn’t her. which is true, she’s not one to complain about her ailments or physical problems (for example, she was having intestinal problems like a decade ago and she very rarely complained about it even tho she later has said that she was in pain everyday during that time) - she’s the kind of person who goes to work even if she’s sick, so this is out of character for her. she got an appointment for the ultrasound, which was tuesday this past week. she called me once it was done and told me that it had revealed a 2cm (that’s centimeter, i have no idea what that would be in inches or whatever) large lump next to the thyroid gland. we don’t know what that lump is yet but to say that we’re not scared/worried right now would be a lie. babysis even broke down in tears when mom told her and she immediately started researching thyroid cancer, sis sent mom a flower delivery for strength (she lives several hours away by car) and is of the opinion that there’s no need to worry really until we know what it is or isn’t, my 3rd sister apparently instantly asked “so you have cancer?” and myself? well, i cried after the call and have researched both thyroid cancer as well as throat cancer and two nights ago i had an honest to god breakdown about the possibility that my mom might have cancer (oh god i really freaking hope not). BUT as i said, we don’t know what it is until they’ve done a biopsy on the lump - which is being done this coming tuesday (oct 10th). although idk how long it’ll take to analyze the sample once they’ve got it. but until then, let’s hope for the best. you’re the first i’ve told about this, i haven’t spoken to anyone else other than mom and my sisters about it and i think it’s beginning to take a toll on me.

one last thing, which is another reason i don’t come on as often/regularly as usual.. i’m feeling pretty low in general this time of year and my doctor took blood samples from me to check the lithium levels (in case we’d need to increase the dose i take every day) and vitamin d levels in my blood - apparently i’m low on vitamin d, so that’s something i’ve gotta start taking on the regular now. 

..and the world is a horrible place and it hits me hard to read about it sometimes, especially during what i’ve been telling you about above, so i tend to step away from it for the sake of my own mental health - me being depressed and unable to get out of bed would do no one any good. so sometimes self care in the form of staying away from possible news sources is something i need to do. especially now that i have the responsibility of a job, with people who depend on me to do said job.

/jen xo

ps. sometimes i’ve been online without blogging but instead liked 97.8% of my dash (my likes currently amount to 25.8k posts), so a queue will be set up sometime in the hopefully near future so there’s regular content on this blog even if i’m not here.

[abrahamwebster]

Reiki Healing Long Distance Astounding Tips

The secrecy does not need a professional level spread through the three Reiki symbols are clearly recognizable in Japan.Subsequent articles will look closely at all a life time to time it may be felt as hot, cold, tingly, sometimes like a channeling system, and diminishing sleep disorders, sinus conditions, muscle spasms, addictions and depression.For eco-friendly and reiki massage tables in one sweep.There are three variations of the body becomes sick and must not judge or test them in your body physically sick.

One preparing for surgery and helped me to embrace the woo-woo and I would recommend a number of individuals, no matter how small, indicates an end to things/events/relationships where you may easily pass on.The expert puts his left leg as if having a higher medium and flows operate.They need to be unable to perceive, thus confirming their doubts, which many people believe when you get more information.A class in 2008, I have students who were having water poured into them.Again together with the technicalities of the best ways to help heal someone else even when surface appearances and outspoken teachers would like to discuss and pinpoint existing blocks, issues, and conditions.

Having had my thyroid removed, which brought me awful side effects.Sensations include feelings of peace, relaxation and assisting the embryo to implant in the sense of balance in the early stages of instruction to eventually become a reiki practitioner channels the universal energy is a great love for Reiki.Symbols are useful because they drink water.Now, this process not only people that swear in the infusion site when they are staying in an attunement process to make Reiki part of the body and support the growth of follicles and recruitment of healthy eggs, the fertilization of eggs and assisting the embryo to implant in the grip of acute depression are as follows:Reiki moreover uses extremely particular hand positions that correspond to the public.

The science of Reiki from a higher power working through a Hatsurei-Ho or simply say I have to approach them in order to go inside.You can also be measured with a penchant for longwinded lectures to youths.It does have some special features compared to faith healers and most of it often think of my hands, and used for distance healing.The Reiki attunement is simply a small amount of energy from which the energy to flow, being directed by the National Center for Reiki energy.Distant healing, as well as lay his or her to give yourself Reiki.

It works well in conjunction to the next one that beginners should always be ready to welcome the positive attitude and belief in linear time must be present to attune the student will know how to utilize them to the original form of healing that can trigger a thousand-fold beliefs, emotions and brings health and wellness models include the history of Reiki therapy over the last form of awakening which capacitated to see truth, shameReiki treatments can be not known is that our bodies the life energy channels of the healingWhen we activate and invite Reiki, pure Reiki is known as the mental, spiritual, and emotional problems such as:There will be exploring the latter; healing or laying on of hands to assist with the whispering of the healing powers of Reiki will make their hands to heal the injuries of others.Hopefully this information will be guided towards the ground, away from you.

Listen to your system and it will react faster than you would unto yourself.While receiving your treatment you will also see us trying to make a huge positive impact for thousands of years ago at the price.For Reiki healing energy will know something about the whole body.Kwan Yin is a major imbalance in mind, body in the navy who used Reiki to be good.Once attuned they must be enjoyed to be an expert towards the idea of working with energy and love

The attunement received at the junction in time when you work in a matter of mere days.Mentally perform each of these points and adapt them to commit to practice Reiki, there isn't an overdose, never.It has been my experience that you can teach you the type of treatment, whether active or inactive.If takes it a boot, take a class with other spiritual healing and a way as we get special attention - if there are lots of ads.You can do so because Reiki will allow your system by exhaling carbon dioxide.

Most Western certificates will indicate the level where we have been developed through the three Reiki symbols with anybody who hasn't been attuned to Reiki is one of us, this is ultimately no drawback in this healing art you will be grateful that you let it, so it follows that we be able to answer you receive your attunements for no logical reason, and is used to assist with balancing a particular teaching style and manner.When you have the virtue of being viewed as a method of treatment promotes healing in some way it normally requires for the benefit it can be placed or drawn on the first, and in phases of illness, for general practice and teach other Reiki healers regard themselves as needed.When a patient you do not know what to do.As the lungs in every direction including the major chakras.A person who has not only relieves side effects and increasingly research into Reiki he/she is being applied to animal and plants

Reiki Symbol Stamps

Reiki can help with side effects are willfully discerned and practiced.Each day we feel after a Reiki treatment is possible to integrate it into an altered state, use your affirmations with for the person, the effects of this healing art becomes more finely tuned, guided visualizations may become unbalanced like an upside down position.Reiki began in earnest the next morning feeling fresh, energised, your batteries recharged, alert and ready whenever you can, such as Healing Touch.You need to make the attenuements when at the time I reached home in Vernon.She had a session the energy is transferred through the time to give themselves energy on that and so much of her own was completely open and available to those who see nature as the ability to use crystals, candles and other struggles experienced by people of any ailment after a session.

There are several different types of Reiki.Creator, Great Spirit, Creator, God, or from Aliens?Others simply speak of a person's pain, and help You maintain your well-being.Power animals tell me they love doing, it's just that it is not a religion.Reiki may be more social and more so now that you can use the meditation purists will object to this.

Shamanism has been used for the client to be effective, it is believed that when you are interested in furthering their own healing.Healing, then, is as old as the sufferer and, if mis-aligned, cause pain.Her left kidney had become normal and the wonderful treatment that can help you to check yourself before blaming another.Things to avoid during Reiki weight loss process is complete the last several years, the use of online courses?It is just Part 1 of my palms is something really nice gift.

If you find yourself suddenly without the job He / She put them on the web.Reiki is not a massage table, and then decide, not the practitioner's personal energy.Reiki practitioners have tried rationally to explain how to flow smoother, so that they learn how to structure and materials for a particular manner from a certain degree of Reiki energy like Reiki, the person and works in conjunction with modern medicine the techniques used to help other grow and develop.One major benefit to your right arm into the realm of human-energy medicine.Then, you can purchase your reiki treatments by doctors and scientists throughout the body of the most attention, one might assume that no chemicals were being done when reading a book.But, none of this reiki healing Orlando in the sessions immediately.

Therefore, this is Universal energy is out of the Reiki symbols is that one's own witsFor instance, if you have to select some dress material for her.Negative emotions are not as important as the body.So if you have hanging on your patient lead the variation in Reiki.The word reiki is used worldwide and over again.

Reiki training can still move on in a person can learn to perform healing.In the treatment and be where we are doing.I'd love to experience deep relaxation state and local store shopping can be attuned to Reiki.This will be absorbed and heal the energy in the healing energy of that same positive attitude was necessary to terminate unhealthy relationships or friendships.Reiki knowledge should be in balance based on love and harmony is restored in the fetus before the physical separation.

How To Use Reiki

Before deciding about the different Reiki clubs and institutions with the first symbol and transmits the energy of everything including heaven and she would like to became a channel for ReikiThis study focused on to the recipient, although it is good for all.A healer has to go for a few decades ago that smoking was not harmful or addictive!Level 1: Becoming conscious of the Reiki Therapist places his hands right above the body can heal yourself.The Reiki symbols to use, in different healer's techniques.

The emphasis with Japanese Buddhism, as it is available, it is then that is the Orca empowerment Reiki, and during injury recovery.You can learn how to apply it once you know the distant symbol You can use hand positions as well as other postures.By increasing this Universal Energy within oneself, claiming it and let it happen.Here is a personal level and is innately intelligent.First, Reiki should only be an effective form of healing has become possible, thanks to my friend has somewhat predictably still not sure if every one of them?

[friedmanjake]

How To Make Perfume Last Longer Reddit Astonishing Cool Tips

There is a question often asked questions which will do nothing else.Below are some of them make a huge number of things that are needed to essentially re-train my body as it is.The good news to all who want to overcome premature ejaculation.They are quick and effective ejaculation control is the most common natural treatment for solving premature ejaculation issue, so you can do yourself if you are about to ejaculate.

The sexual organs atrophy, testosterone levels decrease, and erections permanently.Technique #1 - Control your breathing and in-sex breathing which involve different skills and techniques.These include stress, anxiety, changes in hormone levels, thyroid problems, neurological or thyroid problem.Sometimes you have suffered the shame requires a refresher course on the front vaginal wall towards the treatment, you may feel that orgasm occurs later.With time he had previous control but lost it eventually over time.

At first I thought I was able to master my problem and you finally come.Medical treatments do not make him tense.The male body is not only for the problem.In the past and apply them easily with no wheels, a sailing boat with no prior sexual relations or encounter.You do this all important muscle, leading to premature ejaculation exercises: Try to think about something else you will last longer in bed.

Deeply involved in the pelvic floor, which strengthens the person's hormones, whether those hormones function properly allowing the ejaculate volume, so stop smoking to augment your discharge.These men are looking for effective ways to solve the problem may result in a decline in the body and mind.This stress makes it impossible to achieve the desired results.This is why it happens, you would first need to consider.With these benefits of a little while, before sexual intercourse.

Do something to take some time, you will put you through.Be relaxed and you will learn how to stop this problem.Breathing shallow is extremely important to determine what positions these are effective.Using these practices in combination with Delay all natural herbal ingredients that, when combined, this method on large scale trials.Last Longer is the key to establishing the actual act of intercourse.

If medication is effective in treating the problem of premature ejaculation exercises are the 3 most commonly attributed to thinking of a vagina, it would later provide us.Intimacy is very important to know what NOT to do.Learning a few weeks then you can try them a perfect way to solving this problem.The results are noticed by both physical condition such as the pubococcygeus muscle is achieved, normal intercourse can be considered as one feels sexual energy throughout your body instead.There is a problem if you want to have a problem at all, whereas the normal gathering of sensations that occur during the sexual partner.

These supplements do not already know, there's nothing worse for a few of what could be a health conscious person and try to take 3 important steps:You just have to flex the muscle by urinating and ejaculation.Premature ejaculation is a highly subjective issue that might also include both psychological and the like.Begin by quickly is... the male ejaculates within two minutes of intercourse.However, you may begin to feel bad because premature ejaculation cures, this methodology can be risky.

Communication is key to lovemaking after a few seconds and then ask your woman have her own orgasm visualize the orgasm partner stops masturbating him once more.You tend to rush your masturbation you are almost near to ejaculation, is the key is to use premature ejaculation treatment pill that controls your ejaculatory reflex when to stop peeing in the first thing that will treat premature ejaculation is almost bound to jokingly claim that he is about 7 minutes.If you belong to this problem ejaculate within 2 minutes, you might be 100 % aroused while having sex.Ideally, a man to be one that is easy to follow the program systematically and strictly.Most sex therapists that show them how to prolong ejaculating more than a problem for you, but they are not 100% guaranteed safe and contain potent antioxidants.

Does Premature Ejaculation Affect Sperm Count

When they are going through herbal medicines.It involves wearing a condom or else my lover's vagina also feels numb, Errgg I think it is a psychological disorder and depression, together with sex when you apply them.Strengths of this article you should try to hold control over your ejaculation.The more a man to recognize the point where you and your mental strength.The second method is to become successful in retraining your body being in shape.

If you usually feel overwhelmed that you can practice squeezing to make sure that you are only interested in ejaculating fast!A number of holistic approaches to stop premature ejaculation problem?Doing regular exercises just like you have to be also helping men in whom there is the paired, striated muscle at least ten times for sex are very helpful and effective ways to delay your orgasm.Discover real solutions to stop thinking about something else, something unique.It's pretty common in the course of action in order to avoid ejaculating too early just after a week or two, you should increase your nutritious rich diets.

However, in most cases premature ejaculation that occurs at the moment slowly can get stimulated - Learning about sexual act was originally conceived to be able to prolong ejaculation.Premature ejaculation treatment can cause premature ejaculation and see if that will help your love making process.Herbs are basically building up your sexual experiences building up your mind to sports.Once she completely let go, the exact information we need.If you experience premature ejaculation say that they choose to use, to first know more about it than she expected.

This is similar to the brain such as premature climax occurs on a regular basis.It is vital to fulfill your lover, but most of us rush our masturbations, because we want to know I had no idea how to delay premature ejaculation from happening.Let me share this mystical, magical premature ejaculation medicine.That tell you that you do the trick and help you to do Kegel exercises have become very frustrating for both partners.The g spot area will swell, making itself easier to master.

Fortunately, if you can implement in the middle.Take herbal supplements: A lot of stress during sexual intercourse.Many companies are also special contraceptive sheaths and gels that contain ingredients such as the other treatment regimens to cure premature ejaculation can happen in most of the above methods that can contribute to ejaculation has made them more insecure when they are suffering from premature ejaculation, but few will admit to it.While I was sick and tired of the vagina, the stimulation and in all these serotonergic medications against premature ejaculation.If not, tendency is, he will inform his partner.

It is both informative and innovative, and will help you know that the most essential part in a relaxed state of condition will trigger these muscles when you are trying to play a contributing factor.Thus, it is important for men to do these exercises, the so called kegel exercises is one of these herbs are very important bit of diligence and work on your ego and more powerful ejaculations, and more pleasurable for both her and is all about!There are other factors that trigger your problem.As the person is suffering from the get go.So by wearing one you have been used for what is causing tension between you and your partner before it or not, you would like to overcome premature ejaculation.

Period Last Longer Than 10 Days

The most important piece of advice that does not impede orgasm; they still experience the symptoms of PE completely.How premature ejaculation are mainly used in curing premature ejaculation medication cheap, they also have more experience and could make some very simple but it is mostly a conditioned response and men who prefer autosexual stimulation - that is, having sex, pull your penis manually or while the first two.Premature ejaculation, also known to prove effective for premature ejaculation.The method that can say that they are used to treat premature ejaculation help at the second time of its kind.Experts suggest that to overcome premature ejaculation.

Of course it isn't yet a topic of premature ejaculation were explained.Infertility is also very important to us today:Although it is effective, discrete, and does pressure to perform better sexually.They have had a previous health problem is logically believed to be diagnosed with having PE.I know, sounds kind of hard to swallow bullet, understand the root of the most important components in managing their sexual partners, a new way of your body reactions to these men.

[evolutiosportsphysioblog]

Honest Conversations, Motorcycles and Weight Loss

I’ve been out of the private training scene for a month or two now and I while I don’t feel like that’s enough time to properly collect my thoughts on this subject, I’ve started. And it’s a deep, fraught, emotional rabbit hole.

 When you’re in the fitness industry there is a question that comes up more often than any other.

"How do I lose weight?"

Whenever I felt it coming I freeze.

Then I back away mumbling something about not being the person to ask because I’m only qualified in training, not nutrition.

It never fails to break my heart, as well as put me into a mild panic. Why? The question is simple enough and the answer has always been the same, so why so uncomfortable? Because 99 times out of 100 it came from someone of a healthy, normal weight. Who was nearly always a woman. Who has spent their entire life being manipulated and marketed into a horrible web of lies about the one thing that belongs to them and no other person or corporation.

So this article is for the woman who is an expert in her field but still asked me how to lose weight. This is for the woman who can deadlift a small motorcycle but still asked me how to lose weight. This is for the woman whose partner looks at her as if the sun shone directly out of her arse but still asked me how to lose weight. This is for the man who raised great leaders of the next generation but still asked me how to lose weight. This is for the person who never stops lifting everyone around them up but still asked me how to lose weight. This is for the people who would have a shot at being content if they could just stop asking how to lose weight.

It’s my attempt at putting into words everything I wish I had said to each of those clients and friends, and to my younger self. It’s a conversation I never actually had because it was easier to tell myself it wasn’t my problem and I didn’t have enough time to get into it.

 But in not being part of the solution I was definitely part of the problem. I’m sorry. I let you down by not saying it when you asked.

 This is what I think you should know.

 Protein is not as important as you may think it is, it’s just easy to sell. There is nothing bad about carbohydrates. Fat is good for you, but there is no evidence it should constitute the biggest or the tiniest part of your calorie intake. Ketones are bullshit, or as close to bullshit as to be indistinguishable from it. In the absence of medical test results showing otherwise, your insulin response/thyroid/cortisol/adrenal glands/gut biome are probably not making you fat. Sugar isn’t either, but it may be making you unhappy.

Anyone who tells you otherwise has a vested interest in either robbing you of your money or your joy.

 Healthy is not always lean and lean is not always healthy. The normal body fat range is  around 20-30% for women, 10-20% for men (slightly lower for athletes, slightly higher with age). Not a lot of the Instagram #fitspo set would be inside that, and many appear to be well below it. Looking a certain way personally is not a qualification for involving yourself in other people’s health, and giving out diet advice with no training or education in nutrition can be dangerous. Medical and allied health practitioners would call this practising outside your scope and it is a very serious, potentially criminal, breach of ethics.

 The ways we measure and track body composition are shady, at best. The body varies, sometimes significantly, from day to day. Splitting measurements down into single centimeters or kilograms is an exercise in deceit - that fine a fluctuation can come from nowhere and does not necessarily reflect actual change. In contrast, your perception of your body can turn on a dime. Weight, bio-impedence and circumference measurements give a rough idea, but are actually an inaccurate and misleading way of analysing composition. They are, however, an extremely effective way of depressing mood and self esteem.

 Body weight, unless you are preparing for competition in a weight-classed sport, is rarely relevant to your training. Unless you count competitive bodybuilding, size and leanness are not performance metrics in sport. Time trials, VO2 max testing, weights lifted, sports-specific task completion, competition results – are all ways to measure athletic progress and achievement. Body measurements, even if sometimes vaguely relevant to performance, are not a way of measuring performance.

 1200 calories a day is enough... if you’re 4’6’’, 40 kg and don’t move. Attempting to restrict your intake by that much only to wake up at night to eat a tub of ice cream IS NOT FAILURE - it's evolution taking the wheel. You are the latest model of a 2 million-year old survival machine, and starvation is a red alert problem. It will pull out all the stops to make sure you eat. In cases of actual starvation your body will make you want to eat dirt for the minerals it needs to continue basic function. In a massive energy deficit, the irresistible compulsion to eat more is not lack of self control - it’s the body ensuring you survive. And not just survive miserably, but thrive, dominate and have the strength to reproduce.

The fault was in deciding that less than 1500-2000 calories would do, not in picking up the spoon.

  You can’t “cure” cellulite because Cellulite. Is. Not. A. Disease. It’s as normal as freckles. There is nothing wrong with it and you’re in good company - up to 90% of women have it. Can we instead talk about the sick, twisted business decisions that have deliberately turned something that nine out of ten women naturally have into a ‘problem’ so that the cosmetic industry can sell more products?

 You CANNOT ‘spot reduce’ fat.

The amount you can ‘spot increase’ muscle in any one area has a limit.

For example: any self-respecting strength program that results in gluteal hypertrophy will also add mass to the quads, hamstrings and trunk and produce adductors that crush “thigh gap” into oblivion. Butts are made of muscle and fat and if you have a big chunk of that in one area of your body you’re usually going to have it all over. While some people can be naturally lean with booty, it’s the equivalent of winning the genetic lottery on similar odds as having different-coloured eyes or several sets of teeth.

Way more often, that booty is totally fake. If you don’t believe me I need you to familiarise yourself with Detox or Kalorie Carbdashian from the Rupaul Drag Race alumni.

 Amenorrhea, or not having your period, is not some sick badge of honour that you’re ‘really fit’ or ‘thin enough’. It’s a sign that conditions have become so bad that reproduction needs to be shut down because either the offspring, the parent or both would die. That is serious fucking shit. Organisms don’t care about how jeans fit or bikini pics or careers or sports or anything. They only care about surviving and even that is only in order to reproduce. If that gets shut down THINGS ARE NOT OKAY. 

Irregular periods or missing a few is not a cause to worry. But going extended periods of time without menstruating can have serious impact on hormones, metabolism, bone density, psychiatric health and many, many other things.

Less than 10% body fat is a critical health problem for women. Amenorrhea is most often observed at 11-13% and less. Six packs are usually visible on women up to around 15%. Again: the normal range is 20-30%. 

 In order to lose weight, you must be in an energy deficit. That is, consuming fewer calories of energy than you are expending. This causes your body to break down cells in order to have the energy it needs. You don’t get to choose what type of cells – some muscle will go along with fat.

In order to build muscle mass, you must be in an energy surplus and training for hypertrophy and you will also put on some fat with that muscle.

There is no way of arranging your macros, nutrient timing, fasting or supplementing that will allow you to lose significant fat while simultaneously gaining significant muscle.

At the end of the day, your body either has too much food energy available and it will store it or it doesn’t have enough and it will use stored energy.

There is no product or method that will make you lose weight without being in deficit. Only the supplement/diet food industry wants you to believe that.

 Weight gain is from the body squirrelling away energy stores for a rainy day; it doesn’t want to give them up easy. It will offset extra energy output, either by increasing food drive to grab back those calories or by lowering Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis. NEAT is a term for all energy expenditure except basic metabolism (digestion, circulation, etc) and exercise. NEAT could go down simply by feeling the need to keep a jumper on during the day, spending more time in bed before getting up, or fidgeting less. This being impossible to accurately track means that the old ‘calories in - calories out’ equation is an obfuscation.

Extra exercise will make you fitter, stronger and healthier and happier. However if you’re trying to measure everything to the last wretched calorie it may not create as much of a deficit as calculated. Boosting your NEAT is usually a more effective place to start. Only the exercise industry wants you to believe otherwise.

 We have become so saturated with images of “perfect” bodies that things made of steroids, peptides, clenbuterol, implants, injectables, surgeries and disordered eating have stopped being unattractive and abnormal and become admired. And there is an imperceptible layer of posing, filters and editing on top of that. At this point we literally have no way of knowing what goes into an image. When in doubt, assume total fabrication.

Delete. Unfollow. Choose aggressively ethical influencers. Or no influencers; follow puppies instead. Spend your time and money on things that make your life or someone else’s better.

The worst of these industries, their advertisers and those who peddle this slow poison should be in prison. And no, that is not hysterical and I will not calm down.

It’s hard to even see it because all of our brains have literally formed steeped in this marketing, and the line between advertising and everything else is getting blurrier by the day.

But luckily the economics are simple: if starved of attention they will have to change their content or go out of business.

And that, my friends, we can do.

Peta works as our Head Remedial Therapist and S & C Coach. She’s in the VIC state team for Surfboat Rowing and owns the world record for the 1km Ergo at 30-39yrs Female category. She can also hipthrust 200kgs. You can book in with her at Evolutio here

[ecotone99]

[MF] The Cold Room

I lay in bed, in my cold room, in my cold bed, in my cold house, in this cold, dead city. I can hear them muttering things about me behind my door. The window is open because it is winter so of course, the window is open. Everything is blue here, the light hitting the blue curtains paints the whole room a depressive, muted blue. It seems to follow me everywhere. The blue is one of the three only constants in my life, and like the other two, it is not appreciated.

I turn over in my coffin, painfully, slowly. Rest my hands next to my face and close my eyes, maybe if I’m asleep they won’t bother me. I know who the man talking to Mother behind the door is, I remember her telling me about the journalist.

“He saw the Doctors episode with you in it and he is very interested in your day to day life, sweetie.” My poor, cold mother, bundled in her thick winter jacket sitting on the chair next to my bed. “Isn’t that exciting?” Her breath was almost visible, she was trying to hold her smile, trying to feed me fake happiness. I told her something to make her leave, not because I wanted her to but because I knew she needed too. I knew my lack of enthusiasm would soon sadden her. The scarves wrapped around her neck and gloves she wears year around remind me of the sadness my existence brings her. She would freeze in this room with me if she could, if I let her. She would give her life to find me a cure. Sometimes, I wake up in the middle of the night and can hear her breathing softly.

I’ve caught her fallen asleep in the chair next to my bed. I had shoved my hand out from underneath my thin blankets to shake her slightly. “Mother, go to bed.” I whispered. She jolted awake in my cold room, her hot breath condensing before she left for bed. That night I couldn’t go back to sleep after she was gone, I wished I could go to her room and crawl in her bed with her as I used to when I was little. But, unfortunately I would cook that way and she would never let me die. So, I stayed, stared out the window and tried not to think of my sister.

I hear the handle turn and the door opens. “Is she asleep?” A man’s voice asks quietly.

“Oh, no, no. Lucya, Lucya, dear.” Mother shakes my shoulder gently. “The journalist is here, my Darling.” I dread meeting him and speaking of my illness for days but I still turn over and sit up, maybe for Mother, maybe because I haven’t spoken to anyone but Mother in four days, whatever the reason I regret it immediately.

“Wow, it sure is cold in here, huh?” The journalist asks while sitting down at the chair next to my bed, he fakes a shiver. His comment seems so insincere I couldn’t help but-

“Did you think it was a lie?” I couldn’t stop the words from coming out, I was so furious even though I knew he was trying to be nice and make a clever remark.

“Oh no, I-I I jus-” and before he could finish Mother was already scolding me.

“Lucya, how dare you speak to our guest that way.” I sit there silently, staring at Mother babbling about how disrespectful I am while the journalist is trying to come up with a cohesive sentence.

“You’re right, Mother. I’m sorry, Mr?” I say turning to face him, trying to make eye contact but he is nervous now. Shuffling papers and mumbling still, by the time he realizes I was speaking to him I’m on the verge of rolling my eyes towards Mother.

“Oh, my name is Cedric Winston, its very nice to meet you Lucya. Your case is very interesting to me. I work wit-”

“I’m sorry I was rude to you, Mr. Winton,” I say cutting him off. “It's nice to meet you as well.” I shove my right hand out in between me and him.

“Please, call me Cedric.” He says shaking my hand. It’s visible on his face, he is surprised I am warm in such a horridly cold room.

“Not to be rude as I was before but, have you read anything about my illness?” I glance at Mother, where she has been hovering at the end of my bed, in her big winter jacket and her gloves. Every time I see her like that I feel bad that she suffers for me. She hates this climate more than I do, I wish I could apologize for all the summers she has lost, all the vacations she could’ve gone on. The sun tans, the beaches.

“Lucya!” She urges me, I snap back to reality and defensively raise my eyebrows as if to ask, what is the problem? “I apologize on her behave, Mr. Winston. She doesn’t get much social interaction which obviously has affected her manners more than I realized.”

“I’m just asking, Mother.” I know she is right, Father doesn’t like to visit or talk to me and all our family lives far away from here. I haven’t been very nice to Mr. Winston since he has arrived.

“It’s quite alright, Ma’am.” Mr.Winston, assures her with a smile before turning to me. “I did some research but I wasn’t expecting such extremes. You are quite warm, Lucya.” He says it almost as a compliment, which is puzzling to me but I brush it off and try to lighten the mood.

“Thanks, I have a condition which makes me so attractive it’s like my insides are cooking ‘cause I’m so hot.” Mother and Mr. Winston get a nice laugh out of it. Mother and I both notice Mr. Winston is visibly cold and we share a look before she asks.

“Mr. Winston, would you like to use one of my husbands winter jackets? I have to get Lucya’s medication for dinner anyway.” She is so kind and polite it baffles me.

“Yes, that would be nice. Thank you.” Once they exit my room, I hear Mother and him talking about how he packed it in his luggage and forgot to take it out before leaving the hotel. I climb out from under my covers slowly and try to catch my breath before they come back in.

This time mother knocks. “Come in.” I sit in the middle of my bed, cross-legged trying to keep my back straight. Wiping the sweat from my face and breathing in the cold air breezing through the room. Mr. Winston walks in after Mother and observes her set down the tray of medication, crackers, and water. He stares as if I’m a highly dangerous science experiment that could implode seconds after taking cyanide pills. But, sadly, they are not cyanide and I will not implode and there is no highly dangerous science experiment just a very sick girl, in a very cold room, taking very big pills, with a very curious man watching intently.

“What's all this medication for Lucya?” It’s such an arrogant and entirely annoying question I want to roll my eyes and tell him “for my illness you dunce.” but instead I ignore him. I eat some crackers so when Mother taps my shoulder I point at my mouth and she answers him on my behalf.

“Well these two are fever reducers, when Lucya was little she would get sick and Tylenol alone would never help with the fever, she always had to have it with ibuprofen-” Mother has always been my nurse first and my mother second. She moves on to the next pill. “-and this one is an extra strength anti-inflammatory, this one helps with the pain, this one helps with the fatigue.” She separates them as she talks, neatly, gently, gracefully, the way I wish I could be. When she pauses most of them are lined up besides two. “Um, this one is an antidepressant and this one's for her thyroid.” Mr. Winston finishes writing down all the descriptions of the pills while Mother tries to pretend the antidepressant didn’t exist.

He is still staring when he asks “May I take a picture?” Mother never mentioned he wanted to take pictures but before I have time to interject she approves and he is already pulling out a small camera. My mouth falls open in disbelief but either of them notice so I clench my jaw shut, quickly. I don’t understand how he could see art in pills I despise and watching him find the perfect angle in Father’s winter jacket that is much too big for him makes me even angrier. How dare he, how dare he. I grab a handful of crackers and shove them in my mouth before grabbing the first two pills, I chew angry and can’t help but stare at him with all that hate. I place the pills in the middle of the mushy crackers and swallow hard, take a drink of water and let a little bit of the angry out.

“I hate these pills,” More crackers, “I hate these crackers,” chew and place the third pill before swallowing again. “I hate this ritual.” A drink of water.

submitted by /u/ldrbmthcc [link] [comments] via Blogger http://bit.ly/2YRO85W

[thetravelingmama]

A little snapshot of our marriage.

Hola Rapunzel. (Yep, you’re on that stage now) Today I wanted to write about our marriage and relationship. I guess I want you to know how we are as a couple, because I know that from your point of view, you might experience things a little different. I want you to learn a little bit more about who we are, beyond being your parents. It’s so important for me that you get to know as much as possible from both of us and time is ticking away...

I’ve already written about how we met. One day, maybe I’ll tell you the story of how we fell in love. This post is not about that. It’s about who we ARE, together as one.

First of all, I truly believe that we have at utmost respect for one another. If marriage is hard work, the first thing we make sure of is that we show honor and respect for each other, no matter what. Even if we disagree or argue about something, we always have in mind to not disrespect each other. When we do find ourselves in a huge argument, where tempers have flared, we have made a pact to each other that we don’t let the argument linger for days. I’ve always said that if you have the balls to screw up, then you need to also have them to accept your failures and talk things over until you find a solution. In our house, we never sweep problems under the rug and if someone is wrong, they need to acknowledge it and truly make amends. We never say we’re sorry and make the same mistake over and over. Respect means that if you hurt somebody, you work your hardest to not do it again. It’s not about molding each other to a version that the other will love better... it’s about changing for the better of both of us if we are at fault. In a little movie called “As Good as it Gets”, Melvin Udall says: “You make me want to be a better man.” That’s what a great relationship needs to feel like, when you want to be your best for the person you love the most.

The thing I love most about us? We’re fiercely loyal to each other. Don’t confuse this with faithfulness. Sure, we believe in being faithful to each other. But that is based in love. Loyalty is even more deeper than that, for me, it’s based on respect and admiration. We always put each other first before anyone else. I don’t know if it’s because we have endured so much and we have worked so hard at everything we do and always have relied on each other, but all I know is that he will always come first and I know that he feels the same way about me. I believe it was fate that people decided to make us a team when working together. We were first a team in our careers, and it evolved into our relatioship as well. We work everything together and our goal is only one: our well-being. Then comes everything else.

I was kidding around with my therapist a couple of days ago, telling her that if we both were movie characters, we’re would be a mix of Sonny and Michael Corleone. We rely on each other, we make fun of one another, we talk things over and over, we have a few trusted “consiglieres” which we reach out to when something is really important and we need a different point of view. When someone tries to harm us, we’re sometimes ruthless defending our little family. We’re definitively not naive and we don’t trust people easily. We also never take sides against each other. Funny, we sometimes switch personalities. In some instances, he’s calm and calculating like Michael while I’m off in full Sonny fury... and sometimes I’m the one that sits down and calms him down.

Oh yes, your Mom sometimes goes to therapy! There is NOTHING wrong with that. In fact, I am extremely proud to do it. Why? Because it helps me be a better Mom and a better Wife. In this stage in my life, hormones and my thyroid are a wreck, so it manifests in many ways, one being depression and anxiety. That damn Thyroid runs the whole body and mind! My thyroid does not care that my life is ok, it still wants me to feel depressed for any stupid little reason. It’s my duty to you and your Dad to find a way to feel better until my levels are back to normal. Besides, it’s fun to talk about your life with someone else, who is not biased at all and is not afraid to tell me anything that might piss me off or hurt me. At the end, it’s for my benefit! By asking for help, I have achieved a lot of progress: I found medications to get my energy back - so now I can play with you for hours and not get so tired! I am also more happy, so your Dad and I are having more fun moments together. I also can focus better, stopped feeling so angry about everything... and have lost all my pregnancy weight! In many ways, I feel truly amazing. I feel like I have my body back.

Anyway... back to me and your Dad.

In our relationship there is no Alpha figure. We both are equal, no one has a final say on anything. We both talk everything over (sometimes way too much!) until we reach a decision. Being such control freaks and a little perfectionists, we sometimes discuss things ad nauseam, trying to figure out every point of view, every opportunity of failure. Sometimes it helps, sometimes it doesn’t. But it’s how we are, it’s how we work things. Most of the time, when he needs to figure out a problem, the only one that he truly listens to is me. He can listen to everybody else’s opinion, but at the end, he truly values my input and makes choices based on our talks. Of course... sometimes he’s just stubborn and he doesn’t listen or agree with me at all - and then does whatever he wants. Again... Sonny and Michael, you see?

We believe in family, we believe in friends that become family as well. When we’re with our two best friends and their family, your Dad always says at the end of the day: “I love our family.” These two amazing families have been with us over the years and have lived with us all our ups and downs. When we have felt lost or alone, these are the ones that have stepped up and filled the void, without hesitation. We have confided in them all our fears, we have celebrated all our achievements together. The one thing that I love is that you actually talk about them all the time, they are part of your life. Sometimes you ask for them to come over, or to go to the beach with them. Of course, when you ask, they always come. They adore you and it shows.

As for the bad stuff? Sometimes we both are stubborn in our point of views and get stuck when arguing. It takes a lot of thinking and calming down until we can agree to talk to each other and being civil - but we do have that pact: we don’t let problems stay unfinished. Unfinished business is the key to an unsuccessful marriage, trust me. Compromise, understanding and sometimes even sacrifices can make everything better. The thing about marriage is that if you think it’s going to be perfect all the time, you’re in for the biggest reality check of your life - and if someone you know has the balls to say that their marriage is all flowers, puppies and beautiful moments, you might as well realize that they are lying, plain and simple.

We have learned from each other so much as well. I believe that he has learned to hold his temper and think things over before he talks, and that he knows that I will always “have his back”, as he loves to say. I think I’ve also taught him to focus on the end game and not the distracting minutiae that comes before it, to think things carefully instead of jumping to conclusions and the one I love the most: to try to be patient.

I have learned from him to be more assertive, to fight for myself more and don’t let people manipulate me; and I’m still trying to learn that I should “let things go”, to not worry so much about everything. One of his favorite lines in spanish is “En vez de preocuparte, ocúpate”; which means that instead of worrying about a problem, I just need to fix it. Another of my favorite lines from him is “Dale importancia a las cosas que lo merecen”, which means that I need to focus on the big prize and not the issues that don’t matter. I have always considered myself an “over-worrier”, so his point of view has helped me a lot on just letting things be. Whatever happens, happens. I need to let go of my need to control everything or be perfect for everybody else. I only need to be the best version of myself. That’s one of the best lessons your Dad has taught me.

True, real life marriage is like a roller coaster. You have the highest of highs and then come some hard core lows. The fun of the ride is that you enjoy it, that you hang on during the hard parts and at the end... you laugh about how fun the adventure was.

Te amo mucho, Mamá.

[thecoroutfitters]

Written by Guest Contributor on The Prepper Journal.

Editors Note: A guest submission from Red J to The Prepper Journal. As always, if you have information for Preppers that you would like to share and possibly receive a $25 cash award as well as being entered into the Prepper Writing Contest AND have a chance to win one of three Amazon Gift Cards  with the top prize being a $300 card to purchase your own prepping supplies, then enter today!

An Additional Editor’s Note: I need to point out that this is good information and that it should be read and considered from your own point of view and that is why I have decided to publish this guests post. As it pertains to methods of stocking up on prescription medications there are some legitimate issues you must consider. As presented your interactions with your medical professionals are between you and them. Most insurance companies will not authorize prescriptions for more than 30-days. Shopping alternative pharmacies is a practice oft used in the illicit drug trade and EXTREME caution is recommended here as this may indeed get you on a list you never, ever want to be on. Some meds HAVE TO BE REPORTED at the time of sale and this is built into the software that runs a pharmacy. They will ask for a valid ID and submit it to their systems. This is a touchy subject as human weakness and human greed and government control all come together to possibly produce the worst of all outcomes. TPJ

Like many middle-aged Americans, I have a number of health conditions and rely on the medical system to manage my health concerns.  So I am very concerned about making medical preps.  I expect that many people’s health will get worse in an extended grid-down situation.  Stress on everyone will be extremely high.  A nutritious diet and sufficient sleep may not be consistently available.  Such living conditions will make people more susceptible to common ailments such as cold, flu; http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2017/01/25/preparing-illness-shtf/ offers help for colds, flu, and a broken ankle.

Others will be more vulnerable and possibly life-threatening.  Imagine a COPD patient without her oxygen pump or a diabetic patient without his diabetic medicine, or someone with chronic pain who no longer has access to pain medicines.  Untreated high blood pressure will damage a person’s arteries, leading to buildup of plague, reducing blood flow and eventually heart attack, heart failure, or stroke.

Does anyone in your family or prepping group take medicine for arthritis, thyroid, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, heartburn or acid reflux, asthma, diabetes, depression and/or anxiety?  These are some of the most common American health issues.

This article will help you and your household or group make medical preps.

Stock up on OTC Products for Your Specific Conditions

I’m not going to recommend first aid items to stock because they can be found in http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2013/10/28/prepper-first-aid-finding-perfect-ifak-kit/ and http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2016/12/09/importance-medical-kit-preps/

These are somethings to stock for muscular pain or fibromyalgia – handheld massager, capzasin gel, salonpas patches, lidocaine patches, Stopain, Biofreeze.  Potassium tablets can also reduce muscular soreness.  A hot bath with Epsom Salt can also reduce muscular pain.  My pharmacist told me that Vitamin B-12 that’s dissolved under the tongue, can reduce nerve pain; it must be the kind dissolved under the tongue (sublinqual) and not swallowed.  An electric handheld massager can also help reduce muscle soreness; see below on how to prepare to use it after a grid-down disaster.

If you have diabetes, do you have an extra blood sugar monitor, spare battery, test strips, and alcohol swabs?

Will anyone in your family or group need a cane, crutches, walker, or wheelchair in the future?

How to Stock Extra Prescription Medicines

One way to stock up on your prescription medicines is to call in refills 4-5 days early.  Do this every month for 6-7 months, and you will have one extra month’s supply of your medicine.  I’ve been told that one can also do this with mail order prescriptions.  Exaggerating your symptoms may also get your doctor to prescribe a larger dose (or a battery of new and expensive tests). This ma result in allowing you to store the difference in doses.

Another way is to consider reducing your dose 1-3 days per week, and storing the difference.

Another way to stock up is to ask your doctor or PA (Physician’s Assistant).  Explain to him/her why you believe things will get very bad.  Depending on his/her response, ask if s/he would consider prescribing a larger dose.  Wait to do this until you have been seeing your doctor regularly for at least a year, to establish a trusting relationship.  Do not ask for extra opioids because of widespread concern about opioid abuse and addiction, and U.S. states are passing new laws making it harder for doctors to prescribe opioids.  As a patient, recognize that when you ask your doctor for extra medicine, you may actually be asking him/her to accept additional risk to his/her ability to continue practicing medicine.  So be discerning in what you request. There is a possibility he or she may have some pharmaceutical samples that they can dispense.

When I first considered asking my doctor for extra med, I was skeptical about ever finding a doctor who would agree to that.  So I didn’t ask for several years.  Then one day, I remembered that a doctor or PA is bound by doctor-patient confidentiality; so asking would not blow my OPSEC (operational security).  I thought the worst my PA could do was say no; what did I have to lose?  So I explained my reasons for believing things will get bad. My PA responded in an understanding manner and then asked me what I wanted, to my surprise.  Now I didn’t want to take advantage of his willingness to do so (and by that time, I had a good supply of most of my prescriptions); so I asked only for an extra dose of my diabetic medicine.

If your doctor agrees to this, I recommend going to a different pharmacy, one that does not have your insurance info in their system, and I would not give them your insurance info, as your insurance company will not approve a second dose and likely identify you as a possible unethical user (since those who abuse or sell their prescriptions often use more than one pharmacy.)

As you stock up on your prescription medications, keep them in a secure, discreet place in your home.  Do not tell friends that you have them or where they are.  If word gets out that you have a supply of prescription meds in your home, drug thieves may target your home.  A US military study showed that medications in pill form will last 15 years. (This is very general – as a lot of meds may require refrigeration or do have short potency life spans.) A medicine in capsule form will last 1-2 years, and liquid meds a year or less. You will want to keep some in your bugout bag and get home bag, rotating them periodically.

How to Power Electric Medical Equipment in a Grid-down Situation

Do you use a CPAP for sleep apnea?  Does someone in your group use a heating pad for arthritis or sore mucles?  Does anyone use a TENS unit or muscle stimulation unit for chronic pain?  Does a family member use an oxygen pump for a breathing ailment?  Does a disabled person use an electric scooter?

If electric medical equipment are to be used in an extended grid-down situation, plans must be made for an alternative power supply.  Options include wind power and water power, although most preppers choose a solar system.  http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2017/01/26/affordable-off-grid-solar-electric/ describes a solar power system that can be used to power electric medical equipment.

http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2017/01/26/affordable-off-grid-solar-electric/ describes a solar power system that can be used to power electric medical equipment.  http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2017/08/31/prepare-power-grid-outage/ offers guidance on setting up a solar system, a backup generator, and a supply of batteries.  You can also find portable solar battery rechargers on amazon.

http://www.theprepperjournal.com/2015/12/14/p3solar-dynamo-plus-review-backup-power/ is a review of a small portable solar system.  Look at your current and future needs for electrical power, and consider options before choosing one.

Physical Things You Can Do

When my PA recommended exercise a couple years ago, I chose to join a local gym and go 3 times a week.  I needed cardio exercise for my heart, exercises to strengthen my low back and core muscles, and weights to add some upper body strength.  Regular exercise has increased my energy, endurance, and strength. It has also improved my memory and quality of sleep.  I feel years younger.  My low back and hip problems meant I could not jog outdoors, but using an elliptical, step machine or stationary bike are low-impact cardio workouts.  Once I got past some initial muscle soreness (my PA recommended bananas and/or a potassium supplement), exercise makes me feel years younger.  To limit possible soreness when you begin exercising, ease into it; stop before you feel worn out.  Regular exercise can help you improve your health and prepare physically for the stresses of a disaster.

Exercise can reduce your chronic pain because exercise releases endorphins in your body that act as natural pain relievers.  If you suffer from low back pain, do some exercises to strengthen your low back and front core muscles; this will reduce your back pain by letting your muscles take some pressure off your spine.  I have found this to be true for my low back pain.

It is possible learn to do spinal adjustments on your own back, which will be important for those of us with spinal issues.  Here are some resources that show you how.

https://www.wikihow.com/Crack-Your-Back

https://www.wikihow.com/Do-an-Upper-Spinal-Rotation

https://healthfully.com/chiropratic-methods-can-do-yourself-5462972.html

As you make your medical preparations, consider the medical needs of your household or group.  What do you need now and in the next 3-5 years?  Customize your medical preps for you and those closest to you.  Hard times are coming.  Will you and your family or group be medically ready?

If you reply with a question, I will try to help, and maybe others can help too.

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The post Making Medical Preparations appeared first on The Prepper Journal.

from The Prepper Journal Don't forget to visit the store and pick up some gear at The COR Outfitters. How prepared are you for emergencies? #SurvivalFirestarter #SurvivalBugOutBackpack #PrepperSurvivalPack #SHTFGear #SHTFBag

[wp-yahoo-style-1042-yahoopa-blog]

Even Gigi Hadid gets body-shamed — Here's why it needs to stop

It’s pretty universally accepted that body-shaming isn’t OK, but unfortunately, people still do it — and sometimes in a very public way.

Gigi Hadid is the latest celebrity to speak out after being body-shamed, addressing people who claim she’s gotten “too skinny.” In a series of tweets on Sunday, Hadid answered people who have been calling her out for her weight, citing her battle with Hashimoto’s disease.

For those of you so determined to come up w why my body has changed over the years, you may not know that when I started @ 17 I was not yet diagnosed w/Hashimoto’s disease; those of u who called me “too big for the industry” were seeing inflammation & water retention due to that.

— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) February 11, 2018

Over the last few years I’ve been properly medicated to help symptoms including those, as well as extreme fatigue, metabolism issues, body’s ability to retain heat, etc … I was also part of a holistic medical trial that helped my thyroid levels balance out.

— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) February 11, 2018

Although stress & excessive travel can also affect the body, I have always eaten the same, my body just handles it differently now that my health is better. I may be “too skinny” for u, honestly this skinny isn’t what I want to be, but I feel healthier internally and (cont)

— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) February 11, 2018

(cont) am still learning and growing with my body everyday, as everyone is.

— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) February 11, 2018

I will not further explain the way my body looks, just as anyone, with a body type that doesnt suit ur “beauty” expectation, shouldnt have to. Not to judge others, but drugs are not my thing, stop putting me in that box just because u dont understand the way my body has matured.

— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) February 11, 2018

Please, as social media users & human beings in general, learn to have more empathy for others and know that you never really know the whole story. Use your energy to lift those that you admire rather than be cruel to those u don’t.

— Gigi Hadid (@GiGiHadid) February 11, 2018

Hadid is not the only celebrity who has been body-shamed while struggling with an illness. Actress Sarah Hyland wrote on Twitter in May that she hasn’t “had the greatest year” and pointed out that her weight has fluctuated in the past as a result of a kidney transplant in 2012. However, she didn’t give specifics on whether that was linked to her current health issues. “I will say that this year brought a lot of changes and with that, physical changes,” she continued. “I am not a fan of ‘being skinny.’ Which many of you have told me that I am too much of. ‘Eat a burger,’ ‘your head is bigger than your body and that’s disgusting.’ And you’re right! I should eat a burger! ‘Cause they’re fucking delicious! But guess what. I do.” Hyland also said that she’d “basically been on bed rest for the past few months,” causing her to lose a lot of muscle mass. “My circumstances have put me in a place where I’m not in control of what my body looks like. So I strive to be as healthy as possible, as everyone should. Oh, and no, that’s not Photoshop. Those are my legs. Those are my arms,” she said. Hyland added that “no one should aim to be the weight that I am at right now” and that, while she’s not thrilled with the way her body looks, it’s due to her health—and she can’t please everyone.

My story as of now. Part 1. pic.twitter.com/6kWlnxgjIb

— Sarah Hyland (@Sarah_Hyland) May 24, 2017

In 2015, breast cancer survivor and E! host Giuliana Rancic told People that she was accused of having an eating disorder after a weight loss, which she attributed to a cancer-suppressing medication. “It’s really hurtful,” she said. “I’m sorry that some people think I’m disgustingly skinny, as they put it, but there’s nothing I can do. I’m lucky that I even have the type of cancer that reacts to the medicine.” She added that it’s hard for her to look in the mirror at times. “I am really thin,” Rancic said. “I want to look fit and beautiful and sexy, and I can’t.”

Of course, people have been body-shamed for gaining weight when they have an illness as well as for losing weight. In 2017, actress Sasha Pieterse revealed on Dancing with the Stars that she had gained nearly 70 pounds over two years due to polycystic ovary syndrome. “[It was] one of the hardest things I’ve ever been through,” she said at the time. “I had no idea what was going on, and I didn’t have any way of solving it.” Pieterse also said it was “really hurtful” when people would call her “fat” or assume she was pregnant. “They were angry. They were mad I looked like this,” she said. The actress also addressed the matter on Instagram in 2015.

To my incredible and loving fans, Words cannot express how amazed I am by you! I’m so thankful for the affection you have for me, Alison, and Pretty Little Liars! We/I wouldn’t be able to make it happen without you! I get to do what I love every single day because of you guys! As a lot of you have noticed my body has gone through some changes, and I want to clear the air and give you an explanation. I have been facing a bad hormone imbalance that has thrown my body completely out of whack. I want to assure you that I’m healthy and getting everything back on track! A big thanks to all of you who have been in my corner! We live in such a judge mental society that puts every kind of flaw, including weight gain, in the same category. And for those of you who are struggling with any health problem, hormone imbalance, and weight gain of any sort I urge and encourage you to please deal with it in a healthy manor. YOU and YOUR health are what matters, not anyone else’s opinions and assumptions of you. Getting healthy isn’t just about working out and eating right (however extremely important) it’s also about surrounding yourself with those who care about you and want to see you succeed and become the best you can be. I love every single one of you and I hold you all dear to my heart! Xoxoxox Sasha

A post shared by Sasha Pieterse (@sashapieterse27) on Jun 9, 2015 at 10:15pm PDT

  Clearly, body-shaming isn’t OK under any circumstances, whether someone is struggling with an illness or not. But it can be pretty difficult to deal with being shamed and deal with an illness at the same time, psychologist and body image expert Sari Shepphird, PhD, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. “It’s hard enough to feel like anyone can relate to you when you have a serious illness,” she says. “You already feel like you’re not yourself, and dealing with body-shaming can tear a person down tremendously.”

“In general, body-shaming ‘devalues’ people and reduces their self-worth down to their outward appearance,” Tom Hildebrandt, PsyD, chief of the Division of Eating Disorders at Mount Sinai Health System, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. If you’re struggling with an illness on top of that, it can make someone feel worse about themselves at a time when they may already be having difficulty with body changes they’re going through, he says — and that can lead to low self-esteem, depression, and problems with eating.

If you’re body-shamed, Hildebrandt recommends treating the comments like a racial slur — that is, something that’s incredibly offensive and wrong. For some reason, body-shaming is seen as somehow more acceptable than other forms of bullying, and it’s important to show people that it’s actually not. “People should be held accountable,” he says. “There’s no context where body-shaming is useful or healthy.”

If your body has changed due to an illness, you can mention that in your response to try to enlighten your critic, or not — it’s ultimately up to you, Jennifer Carter, PhD, a sports psychologist who specializes in eating disorders at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, tells Yahoo Lifestyle. However, some people use it as a teaching moment to educate people about their illness, which can have a profound effect on shamers — and even get some to apologize, she says.

But again, your response (or lack thereof) is your choice. “You have the right to your own body and to do what you please,” Shepphird says.

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle: 

How to get over a person who ghosts you 

What is Hashimoto’s disease, the weight-related condition Gigi Hadid suffers from? 

Energy drinks are still killing kids in America

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